Celtics

Ray Allen returns to UConn and earns his degree

The guard completed his bachelor's degree in general studies this year, 27 years after he last played for the Huskies.

By Peyton Doyle

May 8, 2023

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It’s not often that a college graduate walks across the stage to receive his diploma with his retired jersey hanging in the rafters above.

Of course, it’s not often that someone like Ray Allen comes along, either.

On Sunday, Allen returned to UConn’s Gampel Pavilion, 27 years after his last game as a Husky, and four years after his No. 34 was retired. This time around though, he was there to be honored for his academic achievements, not his athletic ones.

The Basketball Hall of Famer sat amongst his peers as a member of UConn’s 2023 graduating class. The 47-year-old finished his bachelor’s degree in general studies this past spring, 30 years after he began classes as a Husky.

Allen initially spent three years in Storrs from 1993-96, leaving the school for the NBA Draft after his junior season.

He played in 101 games for the Huskies during his college career, scoring 1,922 points and winning Big East Player of the Year as a junior. During his time, UConn won three straight Big East regular season titles and made it to the Sweet Sixteen three times and the Elite Eight once.

After leaving school, Allen was drafted fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves but was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks on draft night.

Over the next 18 years, Allen made 10 All-Star teams, scored 24,505 points, sank 2,973 triples, and earned a spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team. The guard also won two NBA championships, including one with the Celtics in the 2007-08 season.