Celtics Past And Present Share Their Thoughts On The Late Great Tommy Heinsohn
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Celtics lost an icon on Tuesday with the passing of Tommy Heinsohn, who leaves a lasting impression on the franchise as a player, a coach and as a broadcaster.
No one bled green like Tommy, who won eight titles with the Celtics as a player and two others as a head coach. He brought Celtics basketball into the homes of millions of viewers for over 40 years as the team's color commentator, sending out thousands of "Tommy Points" while also finding new and unique ways to disagree with officials.
Those Tommy Points will live forever, and plenty more will be given out throughout Celtics history in Heinsohn's honor. But there may never be another like Tommy Heinsohn, and many took to Twitter after news of his passing to honor the NBA legend.
Celtics great Paul Pierce summed it up well with just a sad emoji:
Bill Russell shared a touching tribute for his former teammate:
Several other former Celtics shared their condolences on Twitter, as did current Celtics head coach Brad Stevens and guards Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart.
Heinsohn's broadcasting partner, Mike Gorman, put it best:
Barstool Sports honored Tommy the Commentator, sharing a clip of some of his more famous disagreements with the officials.
In a statement, Wyc Grousbeck, Steve Pagliuca and Boston's ownership group called Heinsohn "the ultimate Celtic." The Celtics organization added that it will be "hard to imagine the Boston Celtics without Tommy Heinsohn."
"There isn't a generation of Celtics fans for whom Tommy's presence hasn't been felt. He is the only person to be an active participant in each of the Celtics' 17 World Championships, an extraordinary and singular legacy," the statement said, in part. "We take this time to celebrate his life and legacy, and to share in the sorrow of his passing with his family, friends, and fans. As long as there are the Boston Celtics, Tommy's spirit will remain alive."
Heinsohn was an eight-time champion as a Celtics player from 1956-65, and then coached the team to two more titles in 1974 and 1976. He started his broadcasting career with the Celtics in 1981, providing his unique insight into games (and dislike for the officials) through last season.
