Iona College will forever have a tie to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Richard “Richie” Guerin, class of 1954, was inducted on Sept. 8. He is the first Iona alumnus to be inducted in Springfield, Mass.

Guerin, 81, played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He recorded 14,676 points over his career. He was the first guard in NBA history to compile 2,000 points in a single season. Though dominant for his era, he laments not being able to compete against the top players in the game today.

“I wish, like the other veteran players in the Hall of Fame, that we could challenge the stars of today’s game,” Guerin said in his acceptance speech.

Guerin was presented into the Hall of Fame by his longtime friend John Havlicek, the Boston Celtic great.

In his collegiate career with the Gaels, Guerin netted 1,375 points and posted a mark of 19.6 points per game. He left Iona with the school record for career points and most points in a single game (40).

In addition to having an illustrious basketball career, Guerin is a veteran. He served two years in the United States Marine Corps. He attributes his success in sports, business and the military to the lessons he learned from the service.

Along with Guerin, there were many notable inductees. They include: University of Louisville men’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino, nine-time NBA All-Star Gary Payton, University of North Carolina women’s basketball head coach Sylvia Hatchell and former University of Nevada at Las Vegas men’s basketball head coach Jerry Tarkanian.

In his acceptance speech, Guerin addressed his family. He acknowledged his wife of 59 years, his four children and his nine grandchildren, all of whom attended the ceremony.

“Basketball is a game of life; family’s a bigger part of life,” Guerin said in his acceptance speech. “When you can share a moment like this with your family, it means so much to me. This is a special honor that I will never ever forget.”