Tommy Heinsohn, whose career in basketball has been defined by his unwavering loyalty to the Boston Celtics, has died, according to multiple reports. A Basketball Hall of Fame inductee as a player and a coach who served as a longtime broadcaster for Celtics games, Heinsohn passed away at the age of 86.
Heinsohn was born and raised in New Jersey, but his time in the city of Boston began via his collegiate career at Holy Cross. From there, Heinsohn became synonymous with the Celtics — the team selected him in the 1956 NBA Draft, at which point he began a highly-successful career with the team. Heinsohn played 10 seasons with the Celtics, winning eight championships, earning six All-Star nods, and being named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year. For his contributions as a player, Heinsohn’s No. 15 was retired by the franchise.
He eventually became Boston’s head coach, winning a pair of championships during the 1973-74 and 1975-76 campaigns. In his career as a player, Heinsohn averaged 19.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, and as a coach, he accrued a 427-263 record. Eventually, Heinsohn moved into the broadcast booth, and while he was never shy to let it be known that he loved his Celtics with every bone in his body, he and Mike Gorman became stalwarts on calls whenever Boston would play.