UConn Legend Among New Inductees to Basketball Hall of Fame

SPRINGFIELD, MA — One of the finest long-range shooters in National Basketball Association history stood at the podium in the game's most celebrated museum in the city of its birthplace Thursday, less than an hour's drive from where he first emerged onto the national stage at the University of Connecticut.

Ray Allen, who holds the NBA career record of draining 2,973 3-point shots in the regular season during an 18-year career with the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, is among the 13 new members comprising the Class of 2018 of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Allen, who grew up in South Carolina before heading to Storrs in 1993, will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame Friday night at Springfield Symphony Hall. His classmates include former NBA stars Maurice Cheeks, Grant Hill, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash; WNBA standouts Katie Smith and Tina Thompson; international player Dino Radja; college coach Lefty Driesell; early African-American pioneer Ora Mae Washington; and contributors Rod Thorn and Rick Welts.

Each inductee is presented by a previous Hall of Fame honoree, chosen by the individual. Ironically, Allen's presenter will be Reggie Miller, a 2012 Hall of Famer whose record of 2,560 treys was obliterated by the man he will accompany to the stage Friday.

The official orange Hall of Fame jacket was presented to each inductee Thursday afternoon, followed by brief comments from each individual and a press conference.

Going in alphabetical order, Allen led off by thanking his family and coaches.

"When I think about being in the Hall, I don't think so much about my career as much as I think about the people who have gotten me to this point: my family, all the great coaches I've had, all the people that really believed I was better than what I thought I actually was," he said. "This is an homage to my mom and dad and every coach I ever had."

Photo and video credits: Tim Jensen

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