In a surprise on par with the sun rising each morning, Ray Allen told the Associated Press he is not considering retirement.

Allen also said he is willing to sit out the entire season if that’s what the players association decides is best.

“Nobody wants to miss a year,” he said. “But I’m prepared to do what the team needs me to do, what my players association, players union team, what they need me to do, because we want to make sure we get the right deal for us.”

When Allen and other older players state their loyalty to the players association, we should salute them: because Allen likely only has two or three seasons left in the league, any changes made to the Collective Bargaining Agreement will not affect him for long. With ten million reasons to hope the NBA resumes play in time for the first regular season game, Allen would benefit individually from a quick end to the labor negotiations regardless of how many concessions the players association makes. That he’s willing to stand by the union regardless of his own interests show that Allen is interested in the game’s future, not just the way the new CBA affects his own bank account.