The NBA community lost a great soul on Tuesday, as Boston Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn passed away at the age of 86.
The Celtics released a statement on the tragic news:
“This is a devastating loss. Tommy was the ultimate Celtic. For the past 18 years, our ownership group has relied hugely on Tommy’s advice and insights and have reveled in his hundreds of stories about Red Auerbach, Bill Russell, and how the Celtics became a dynasty. He will be remembered forever.”
Tommy Heinsohn has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player and coach. He was the Celtics’ TV broadcaster for NBC Sports Boston and beloved in Beantown.
Heinsohn played for the Celtics from 1956 to 1965. He won eight NBA titles and was the Rookie of the Year in 1957.
As a coach, Heinsohn has the second-most wins in Boston franchise history with 427 in the regular season. He guided the club to two championships and racked up 47 wins in the postseason, which is good for fourth in Boston history.
Heinsohn was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1986 and as a coach in 2015. It's impossible to measure his impact on the Boston organization with just numbers. Whenever you think about the C's, Heinsohn's name is always near the top of the list.
When the 2020-21 season starts on Dec. 22, the Boston franchise will surely dedicate the campaign to Heinsohn and his family.
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