‘Never too late to learn.’ Former Celtics, Heat star Ray Allen graduates college

Hall of Fame basketball player Ray Allen, who won NBA titles with the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, can add another title to his legendary resume: college graduate.

Allen, who starred at UConn for three seasons before leaving early for the NBA, received his bachelor’s degree in general studies on Sunday in Storrs, Connecticut, the Associated Press reported.

Allen, 47, was selected fifth in the 1996 NBA Draft after averaging 19 points in three seasons for the Huskies.

He started taking classes to finish his degree in 2008, beginning with one class per semester — before increasing it to two — while still an active NBA player, the Hartford Courant reported.

“When I was in school there was a couple of RAs [resident assistants] that were in their 30s and I thought, ‘Wow, they’re still in school.’ It’s never too late to learn,” Allen told the Hartford Courant. “This day isn’t about me, it’s about the people that helped me along the way to finish this mission, be on this journey to graduate from college. And you got to do it by yourself but it’s made up of a lot of people around you, so I didn’t want it to be about me walking in and everybody, you know. These kids are on their individual journeys, so I was so inspired to be sitting next to them and talking to them.”

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and seeing his daughter, Tierra, become the first in the family to graduate college inspired Allen to hit the books harder, the Associated Press reported.

His accomplishment sparked a reaction from former Arizona Cardinals star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who finished his degree in 2016 at age 32 after leaving Pittsburgh early to pursue his NFL dream.

“Congratulations to Ray Allen on graduating from UConn over two decades after he left to dominate in the NBA,” Fitzgerald wrote on Twitter. “Never too late to continue your education!!!”