At least one place in New England will love Ray Allen forever.
The University of Connecticut retired the Basketball Hall of Famer’s No. 34 jersey Sunday afternoon in Storrs, Conn., at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Allen’s jersey-retirement ceremony took place at halftime of the UConn men’s basketball game against South Florida, giving the adoring crowd a chance to thank him again for his shining performances at the school between 1993 and 1996.
No. 34, retired in perpetuity. pic.twitter.com/IKy6d60Rno
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 3, 2019
Once a Husky, always a Husky. Congratulations on the number retirement, Ray Allen 👏 #UConnNation #HuskiesForever pic.twitter.com/dE7N1ygdkh
— UConn (@UConn) March 3, 2019
Allen addressed the crowd once his number took its place in the rafters.
“Everything I’ve received because of this game of basketball was as a UConn Husky.”
Ray Allen explains how important @UConnMBB has always been to his career. pic.twitter.com/HmmF4ncTVY
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 3, 2019
“What I’ve come to learn over my career is talent is not enough. It’s the hard work we put in on a daily basis that makes us who we are.”
Ray Allen attributes his incredible basketball career to the work ethic learned while in Storrs. pic.twitter.com/dJoW2hy2v0
— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) March 3, 2019
Rebecca Lobo is the only other player whose number UConn has retired. The school has the highest criterion for retiring numbers: enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame, which Allen formally entered last September.
After leaving UConn, Allen played 18 NBA seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle Supersonics, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. He helped the Celtics win an NBA championship in 2008 and the Heat triumph in 2013. His second title followed his acrimonious exit from the Celtics, and his relationship with several ex-teammates remains either frosty or non-existent to this day.
