“When I went to the Celtics, Tommy and I went the same year and up until that time, the Celtics had never won a series,” shared Boston Celtics great Bill Russell of his friend and teammate Tommy Heinsohn and his impact on a team that he would see win eight NBA championships in his nine season career.
“Tommy as a player, and as a power forward, he is the most under-rated, unappreciated, under-glorified players we’ve ever had in this league,” added fellow Celtic icon Bob Cousy of his former teammate Heinsohn, who passed away on November 10th at age 86.
From his time as a player and advocate for his peers at the dawn of the Players’ Union to his coaching and broadcasting years, the Holy Cross product had his hand connected to each of the team’s 17 titles.
That’s an unparalleled feat in the NBA’s 70-year history, and the wider Celtics community still reels from the loss of this great.
Watch the video produced by the team on the depth and breadth of his impact on today’s Boston Celtics.
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