Tom Heinsohn

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Lore & Background

Heinsohn's on-court dominance was defined by specific moves developed out of necessity. Due to a low ceiling at his high school gym, he perfected a line drive jump shot that became a staple of his offense. He also utilized a running hook from the corners that separated him from peers. Standing 6-7, coach Red Auerbach described him as "the ideal forward" capable of great offensive rebounding, defense, and soft shooting. His playing career included scoring 37 points and grabbing 23 rebounds in the double-overtime Game 7 of his rookie season to secure a title. He led the Celtics in scoring from 1960 to 1962 with averages over 20 PPG and became the first player in NBA history to score 1,000 points in the Finals.

In Their Own Story

Transitioning from star player to head coach after Bill Russell's retirement proved difficult initially, as the team missed the playoffs in both 1969–70 and 1970–71. However, Heinsohn turned the tide by leading the squad to a league-best 68–14 record in the 1972–73 season, earning Coach of the Year honors despite a playoff upset by the New York Knicks. The following season, he guided the Celtics to an NBA championship, followed by another title in 1976. Between 1971–72 and 1975–76, his teams won at least 50 games annually. His tenure ended abruptly in December 1977 when the team fell to an 11–23 record; he was replaced by former teammate Tom "Satch" Sanders. He finished with a career coaching record of 427–263.

Reader's Guide

Beyond playing and coaching, Heinsohn served as the Celtics' color commentator for over 30 years alongside Mike Gorman, forming one of sports broadcasting's longest-tenured tandems starting in 1981. He began calling games in 1966 and continued until the 2019 season. Known for his humor and indignantly questioning officials when he felt calls were erroneous, he introduced "Tommy Points" to highlight hustle and awarded a "Tommy Award" each game to a player with exceptional play. He also covered NBA playoffs for CBS from 1984 to 1987, calling four Finals, three of which featured the Celtics against the Lakers. In college basketball, he called NCAA tournaments starting in the 1986–87 season, often paired with Verne Lundquist.

Did You Know?

• Heinsohn is the only person to have been involved in an official team capacity for each of the Celtics' first 17 championships and all 21 NBA Finals appearances.
• He was instrumental in the NBA Players Association securing a pension plan after leading a threat to strike during the 1964 All-Star game.
• During his senior year at Holy Cross, he set a school record with 51 points in a single game against Boston College.
• Heinsohn was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice: once as a player and again in 2015 as a coach.
• The Celtics still give out "Tommy" Awards at the end of every game to honor the player with the best hustle, a tradition started by Heinsohn.