The multi-talented Allen chatted live from the NBA Store Tuesday. (NBA Photos)

One may think that with Allen's busy schedule, the South Carolina native would need to take a break once in a while. Not the case. Allen has yet to miss a game since arriving to the NBA in 1996, playing in 214 consecutive regular season games. His superb attitude has helped him become a leader both on and off the court.

Last season, Allen led the Bucks to their first playoff appearance in eight seasons. Allen ranked fourth in the NBA in free throw percentage (.903) and was second on the Bucks in scoring last season, averaging 17.1 points for the regular season. In the first-round loss to Indiana, Allen averaged a team-high 22.3 ppg.

Allen will be hosting the third annual Ray Allen Celebrity Weekend, August 27-30, in Hartford, Connecticut. NBA Stars and other celebrities will participate in a variety of events, including an NBA-sanctioned basketball game, with all proceeds from the events going to the Ray of Hope Foundation.

On Tuesday, August 24, Allen appeared at the NBA Store in Manhattan from to talk basketball, shoot a few baskets and sign autographs for fans and followed the visit up with a live chat in NBA.com. Here is a transcript of that chat.

josh at 2:58pm ET
Did the stuff that went on in "He
Got Game" apply to you when you were in in high school?

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Ray Allen at 2:59pm ET
The things in "He Got Game" didn't happen to me to that extent, but it has happened to other players. It's kind of a collaboration of a lot of different lives and a lot of different players. I think the movie took that to the extreme in every case.

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UConn Husky at 2:59pm ET
Hey Ray. So, what's the story on your charity tournament? Who will be there? And what does it benefit?

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Ray Allen at 3:01pm ET
My charity benefits the Thurgood Marshall Fund, The Boys and Girls Club, United Way, and my foundation, Ray of Hope. And then we donate money to Vin Baker's foundation as well. Tim Hardaway, Penny Hardaway, Sam Cassell, Vince Carter, Alonzo Mourning, Michael Finley, Allan Houston are all coming. Denzel Washington gave his committment to coming.

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Peter Fenske at 3:01pm ET
Do you think that the Bucks can be one of the elite teams in the league in the near future?

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Ray Allen at 3:02pm ET
Of course. It's just a matter of time. All I can do is hope that the moves from this summer will help. Teams that make offseason acquisitions can only hope for the best until the season starts, because players gelling is a big part of the success of a team.

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dc at 3:02pm ET
How does it feel to be living in the spotlight 24/7?

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Ray Allen at 3:04pm ET
That's a great question. I think it gets frustrating at times, but you have to re-center yourself and realize what it's like when nobody asks you for your autograph. For the most part, people respect you -- they say they're a big fan, or they just ask for an autograph. On the other hand, some people come up to you when you're using the bathroom or you've got a fork in one hand and a spoon in the other and they say, "Could you sign an autograph?"

The worst was, this kid asked for an autograph while I was eating, and I said, "I can sign it for you when I'm done." Then the kid's mother said, "See I told you." And I just felt so bad for the kid.

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bucks at 3:05pm ET
Mr.Allen, was playing in the NBA your dream as a kid?

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Ray Allen at 3:06pm ET
Yeah, I started playing basketball in the fifth grade, and I thought that if I could beat everybody in high school, then in college, then I could make it to the NBA. So I just set very short-term goals for myself, trying to beat the other people who were my age.

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sean at 3:06pm ET
Is it fun making movies like "He Got Game"?

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Ray Allen at 3:07pm ET
It's fun watching the movie after it comes out, but making it is a lot of hard work. When I first saw myself onscreen, I felt a little uncomfortable watching myself talk.

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Wilmar at 3:07pm ET
What player did you look up to growing up?

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Ray Allen at 3:07pm ET
I looked up to Magic Johnson. It was weird meeting him because Magic knew who I was and he was complimenting me on how good a player I was... it was great.

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She_Got_Game_24 at 3:08pm ET
Ray, any pre-game rituals that you and the Bucks follow?

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Ray Allen at 3:08pm ET
We all huddle up and say the Lord's Prayer before we go out.

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Mike at 3:09pm ET
Is it different playing in the NBA than in college?

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Ray Allen at 3:09pm ET
The NBA -- you have to get prepared for every game every day, and you travel so much, yet you're expected to compete at a very high level every game. In the NBA you have to motivate yourself much more than in college.

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Dorrie23 at 3:10pm ET
Ray, I love your web site. Do you have a lot of input as to what goes on the site?

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Ray Allen at 3:10pm ET
We have a company who does our stuff and they try to put all the latest and greatest on the web site. So I just tell them to try and put everything on there -- the all-star game, the season -- if you use all those facets, that makes it interesting.

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bucks134 at 3:11pm ET
What is your web site?

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Ray Allen at 3:11pm ET
The address for the web site is www.ray-allen.com.

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Bucksball1 at 3:12pm ET
Is there meaning behind the number 34?

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Ray Allen at 3:13pm ET
When I was a sophomore in high school, I wore #20 because a friend of mine in California wore that number. The coach thought that 20 was kind of a soft number, and he thought that I'd be a great player, and he wanted me to wear a number that was reputable -- that other great NBA players had worn. So I got my number the next day and it was 34.

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julia at 3:13pm ET
Being in the NBA...how often do you get to see your family?

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Ray Allen at 3:14pm ET
A lot of times, my family comes to Milwaukee. Philadelphia, Boston, DC, New York, New Jersey -- I usually see them when we play games in all those places, so I get to see them somewhat often.

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She_Got_Game_24 at 3:14pm ET
Ray, I'm about to turn 16 and I've been looking for a new car. What was your first car?

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Ray Allen at 3:15pm ET
My first car that I owned was a Range Rover. Prior to that, I'd never had a car. I got my first when I got to the NBA. But the first car that I ever drove and had responsibility for was a Nissan Sentra.

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roby swails at 3:15pm ET
Who gave you the best advice you ever got? What was the advice?

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Ray Allen at 3:16pm ET
The best advice was from a teacher at UConn -- an anthropology teacher. I was trying to decide whether to leave college and go to the NBA. I saw him on campus and he asked me what I was still doing there. I said, "taking classes." He said, look around you, this place has been here and will continue to be here for the rest of your life. It'll wait for you until you get back.

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Jamie Lapato at 3:17pm ET
Ray what is your favorite movie?

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Ray Allen at 3:17pm ET
My favorite movie is Schindler's List.

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rob at 3:17pm ET
Hi Ray, I'm your great Italian fan. What kind of music you prefer?

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Ray Allen at 3:18pm ET
I like smooth R&B music. In my car right now I have Ginuwine, Rough Riders, Chante Moore, I have the Chris Rock comedy CD, and I have Sade.

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Cedric Balzan at 3:18pm ET
What do you do in the off-season?

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Ray Allen at 3:19pm ET
Play a lot of golf. I always try to find a vacation spot -- this year I went to the Bahamas. And then my celebrity game -- that's what I work on most of the summer. And I also play in other guys' celebrity games.

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Frank Justice at 3:20pm ET
If there is one player you would have wished you could have played with in the past who would it be?

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Ray Allen at 3:20pm ET
Dr. J.

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Paul at 3:20pm ET
When was the best game you ever had?

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Ray Allen at 3:20pm ET
A game against the Knicks in New York -- I hit a long three-pointer to put the game in overtime and we ended up winning the game.

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David Beacher at 3:21pm ET
Did anyone from your team ever play a practical joke on you?

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Ray Allen at 3:21pm ET
I don't think so.

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Jurgen at 3:21pm ET
Any more acting-ideas going on?

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Ray Allen at 3:22pm ET
I don't have anything planned, but I do hope to do stuff in the future. I can't do anything right now with the season approaching. "He Got Game" took about four months.

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bucks at 3:22pm ET
What was your first NBA game like for you?

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Ray Allen at 3:23pm ET
We played Minnesota and I remember thinking, that was easy. It just approached so quickly in my life -- we just went out, played the game, then got on the bus and went home.

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Lukers at 3:23pm ET
If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

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Ray Allen at 3:25pm ET
I think I would say George Washington. Today he is an historical monument, an institution. I want to know what he stood for. He's on the dollar bill and it's said that he was a great man. He's history. A lot of things have been passed down, and I want to know what he's like. I want to know what his vision for the United States was. It's said that he had slaves, and I'd like to know how he'd react to the world today, compared to what his vision was for how he thought it would be.

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Ray Allen at 3:27pm ET
Thanks to everybody for listening to me online. If you'd like to know more about me and my foundation, visit my web site. You can call the foundation 860-249-7038. If you'd like to make donations, find out where it's located, anything like that, it's all on the site. Thanks.

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