Tom Heinsohn

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Of German descent, Thomas William Heinsohn was born on August 26, 1934, in Jersey City, New Jersey. Heinsohn moved while in elementary school to Union City, New Jersey, where he was a standout at St. Michael's High School. He accepted a scholarship to Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. As a freshman Heinsohn led the team in scoring averaging 17.6 points per game. As a sophomore in 1953-1954, Heinsohn scored 444 points – the most-ever by a Holy Cross first-year varsity player at the time. Heinsohn concluded the year by scoring 45 points in three games during the National Invitation Tournament, earning All-NIT honors as Holy Cross claimed the championship. During the 1954-1955 season, Heinsohn led the Crusaders in scoring and rebounding while earning first team All-America honors. During his final year with the team in 1955-1956 he once again received first team All-America honors for the second time, setting what was then a school single-season scoring record with 740 points. Heinsohn left as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,789 points, an average of 22.1 points per game. During his senior year, Heinsohn scored a school-record 51 points in a game against Boston College, and averaged 27.4 points per game and 21.1 rebounds per game for the season.

In Their Own Story

In 1973, Heinsohn guided the Celtics to their best regular season record in franchise history, posting a league-best 68–14 mark. Although they fell short in the playoffs against the eventual champion New York Knicks, his leadership earned him the Coach of the Year award. The following season, he redeemed that loss by securing an NBA title for Boston, adding another championship in 1976. Between 1972 and 1976, his teams won at least 50 games annually. However, the 1977–78 season proved difficult; after a poor start where the team fell to 11–23 following a loss to the Chicago Bulls in late December, Heinsohn stepped down as head coach. He was replaced by his former teammate and assistant, Tom "Satch" Sanders. Despite this abrupt end, he finished with an impressive career coaching record of 427–263. His tenure as a broadcaster began even earlier, starting in 1966 before his coaching days, eventually forming one of the longest-tenured tandems in sports history alongside play-by-play man Mike Gorman on PRISM New England and later local networks.

Reader's Guide

In 1956, Heinsohn was chosen as the Boston Celtics 'regional', or 'territorial', draft pick. In his first season, Heinsohn played in the NBA All-Star Game and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year over teammate Bill Russell. He finished his rookie season by winning his first championship ring, scoring 37 points and grabbing 23 rebounds in the double-overtime 7th game of the NBA Finals. Standing at 6-7, throughout his career Heinsohn’s two primary moves on offense were a line drive jump shot, which was developed due to the low ceiling at his high school gym. His other shot which separated him from the rest of the league was his running hook, usually shooting it from corners. His coach Red Auerbach once described him as “the ideal forward,” “He could do it all: great offensive rebounding, great moves, great shots, including a beautiful soft hook, even great defense when he felt like playing it.” Heinsohn was part of a Celtics squad that won eight NBA titles in nine years, including seven in a row between 1959 and 1965, leading the team in scoring from 1960 to 1962 averaging 20+ PPG each of those seasons. In NBA history, only teammates Russell and Sam Jones won more championship rings during their playing careers, and Heinsohn's streak of going to the NBA Finals each season of his nine-year career is unmatched. Heinsohn was also the first in NBA history to score 1,000 points in the NBA Finals. Heinsohn retired after nine seasons due to a foot injury. During his playing career, Heinsohn was named to six All-Star teams. On the day his teammate and fellow Holy Cross Crusader Bob Cousy retired, Heinsohn scored his 10,000th career point. His number 15 was retired by the Celtics in 1966. Off the court, Heinsohn played an important leadership role in the NBA Players Association. He was the association's second president from 1958-1966, following founding president Bob Cousy, and was instrumental in the league's acceptance of a pension plan for players following a showdown at the All-Star game in 1964, in which the All-Star players, led by Heinsohn, threatened to strike. Heinsohn became the Celtics' head coach beginning in the 1969–70 season, following Bill Russell's retirement as both player and coach. Initially, the team missed Russell's impact, and the Celtics struggled in both 1969–70 and 1970–71, failing to reach the playoffs in both seasons. The team broke through

Did You Know?

• Heinsohn was the first in NBA history to score 1,000 points in the NBA Finals.
• He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in his first season.
• Heinsohn was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach.
• He helped form the NBA Players Association and served as its second president.