Tom Heinsohn, the Legend From Boston Celtics Dies at 86
The legendary American basketball player Tom Heinsohn died at 86. The Boston Celtics player won eight titles as a player and two titles as coach of the team. Further, the team announced the Hall of Famer’s death news on November 9, 2020.
The Celtics legend had a four-decade career and is the only person to be associated with 17 Celtics championships. He was a die-hard Boston Celtics broadcaster followed by his coaching.
Table of Contents
Facts about Tom Heinsohn
- Tom Heinsohn played six NBA All-Star Games
- In 1957 he won Rookie of the Year
- Basketball fans named him “Tommy Gun”
- He scored 18.6 points playing in 654 matches in his playing career
- He hung his boots as the Celtics player in 1965
- After a year he also gave up his jersey numbered #15
- Heinsohn became the head coach for the Boston Celtics from 1969
- The team won titles in 1974 and 1976 under his coaching
- In 1973 He won the honored coach of the year
- He remained Celtics coach till 1978.
Tom Heinsohn was honored twice for Hall of Fame
Tom Heinsohn got the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986 for the first time as a player and the second time in 2015 as a coach.
The Boston Celtics team issued a statement saying that Tom Heinsohn’s death was an unprecedented loss for the team. He was such a die-hard Celtics lover.
Celtics ownership remembers their long-time adviser
The ownership of the team said that the group had been depending heavily on Tom Heinsohn’s advice for the last 18 years. He had shared so many insights about Bill Russell and Red Auerbach.
The team will always remember him for making the Boston Celtics dynasty.
Isaiah Thomas, a former Celtics player, expressed his grief for Tom Heinsohn’s death. Tom used to call him the little guy. Thomas indeed felt his absence, his voice and his sheer contribution to the basketball world, especially for the Boston Celtics.