"Here's something you need to know: Ray Allen is 35 years old and he turns 36 on July 20.

Here's something you need to forget: Ray Allen is 35 years old and he turns 36 on July 20.

The fact he decided to pick up the $10 million option for next season should produce a measure of comfort — not concern — among Celtics followers. Though Allen said immediately after the C's were eliminated from the playoffs by Miami that he didn't see himself playing anywhere else, it is still a relief to the club that he wasn't sweet-talked into opting out and making a title run elsewhere.

Trust us, teams want him.

Ray Allen still has a lot of basketball left in him, and the Celtics need his home games to be played in Boston. Regardless of his age.

Look, if there is anyone who can keep Father Time on hold, it is Flo Allen Hopson's bouncing baby man Walter Ray.

First there are the genes. Anyone who has seen mom at the Celtics games knows she could easily fill a lane on the fast break. Forget how old she may be; Flo looks great for a woman of any age. (And with her personality, our country's first lady would do well to enlist her aid in the crusade for healthier youth.)

Then there is Ray Allen's work ethic. He looks like one of those guys who can eat pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner and not gain an ounce. In other words, if he wasn't a nice guy, we'd hate him.

But Allen keeps himself in optimal condition by working out even when the Celtics are off, which is often. When Doc Rivers cancels practice to give his veterans a rest, Allen takes that to mean he can beat himself up without hearing a whistle.

As a result, he played in 80 games this past season, only missing the last two when Rivers pulled the plug on the fight for the second seed and forced him from the lineup.

Allen played 36.1 minutes a night, just a shade below his 37.0 average for 1,102 regular-season games over 15 seasons. He went 40.1 minutes in the playoffs.

As a player digs deeper into his 30s, his legs are supposed to lose their strength and flexibility, right? One of those Larry Bird semi-set shots may still work, but a guy who shoots a true jumper will find himself struggling to reach his destination on a consistent basis. Right?"