University of Tennessee Athletics
Former Vol Allan Houston to Receive Thurman Munson Award
December 18, 2008 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2008
Former Tennessee basketball great Allan Houston (1989-93) will be among an elite list of award recipients at the 29th Annual Thurman Munson Awards Dinner set for Feb. 3 at the Grand Hyatt in New York City. Houston joins MLB standouts Carlos Beltran and Johnny Damon, World Series champion Ron Swoboda, NFL?wideout David Tyree and Olympic gold medalist Dara Torres as recipients of Thurman Munson Awards from the AHRC-NYC Foundation, it was announced this week.
Tennessee's all-time leading scorer and the second-leading scorer in Southeastern Conference history (2,801 points), Houston was a two-time All-America selection and a four-time first-team All-SEC?performer during his days on Rocky Top. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons as the 11th overall pick in the 1993 NBA?Draft and enjoyed a 12-year NBA?career with the Pistons and New York Knicks.
A native of Louisville, Ky., Houston earned two NBA All-Star bids (2000 and 2001)?and also played on the United States' gold-medal-winning team at the 2000 Olympic Games. He scored 53 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers in 2003 and ranked 10th in the NBA?in scoring during the 2002-03 season.
Houston's philanthropic efforts have resulted in five separate "Good Guys in Sports"?honors by The Sporting News. He was named the 2002 Man of the Year by the Brooklyn Boys and Girls Club and spearheaded educational initiatives such as "Allan's Courtside Classroom"?and the "My Teacher is a Hero"?program.
Through the efforts of Allan and his wife, Tamara, the Allan Houston Charitable Fund has raised more than $500,000 for Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kentuckiana, the local chapter in Houston's hometown. And in 2003, he created the Wade Allan Houston Scholarship at the University of Tennessee in honor of his father, Wade Houston, who was the head men's basketball coach at UT from 1989-94.
More recently, Allan Houston founded the Allan Houston/Citigroup Business Education and Development Center in Harlem, N.Y. The organization helps young aspiring entrepreneurs with limited resources by providing six months of education and training based on the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship curriculum; mentoring and business-plan writing; and one year of support consisting of pre-paid office space, a team of advisors and up to $20,000 in seed capital.
Houston also presently works as an assistant to the president for basketball operations of the New York Knicks.
Diana Munson, Thurman's widow, has been involved in the annual benefit event since its inception, raising nearly $9 million to assist children and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. Len Berman of NBC Sports once again will serve as the master of ceremonies. For tickets and information about the Munson Awards Dinner, call (212) 249-6188. The honorees will be cited for their accomplishments on the field of play and their philanthropic efforts.
The AHRC New York City Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that supports programs enabling children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives, including programs of AHRC New York City. AHRC New York City is one of the largest organizations of its kind, serving 11,000 children and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries and other disabilities.
Notable individuals who have previously received the Thurman Munson Award include Alex Rodriguez, Muhammad Ali, Yogi Berra, Don Mattingly, Joe Torre, Patrick Ewing, Arthur Ashe, Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Willie Mays and Mark Messier.
