Hughan was inducted as a life member at Basketball Victoria's annual general meeting on Sunday, alongside Charles Ryan and John Holden.

"Of all the awards, this one is the best one, the one I appreciate more than any other awards I have received," Hughan said.

"Not too many are given out. It is a prestige award.

"It was a pretty moving affair to tell the truth."

Hughan's achievements include coaching Melbourne East-Nunawading for 12 years, taking it to the 1968-69 Victorian Basketball Association championship, leading the Hornets for 15 seasons and taking them to six championships and head coach duties for the Victorian state team.

Hughan, who stepped down as Hornets coach after suffering a minor stroke in 2008, said he was asked to make a speech after he was inducted.

"I talked about my background. I came from the inner suburb of Richmond and most of my friends ended up in jail," Hughan said.

"Basketball was an outlet for me to get out of that environment.

"I can't speak highly enough of my gratitude for the game itself."

Hughan said his speech focused on what basketball gave people - satisfaction, acceptance and a passion.

"All they were talking about was marketing, duty of care, promotion and development and when I got up and said we all think of people who win and achieve great things in the game but what you can get out of basketball is you can get out of a certain environment and it teaches you to get along with people," Hughan said.

"In my situation it got me out of the environment I was in and I said you can't put any money on that.

"When I first played, I was in a park in Richmond wrestling with my mates, as 12 and 13 year old kids do.

"A couple of kids on push bikes came down and said they were short of players.

"I must have felt guilty so I went down there and I must have played fairly good because after that I got keen on the game.

"I really enjoyed junior basketball, I enjoyed senior basketball and I enjoyed coaching."

Terry Davis nominated Hughan for the honour.

Having known Hughan for 25 years, Davis said Horsham basketball was better for having had someone of his calibre teach and develop young players.

"His work with the Horsham basketball association as president, committee member and coach has left a long-lasting legacy, you could say a dynasty, that will stand for unsurpassed commitment to basketball in the Horsham area," Davis said.

"Mitch Creek, Aaron Bruce and Melissa McClure are names conjured as output of Owen's program."