Tom Heinsohn
Inducted:
1986
Player Stats
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
218 lb (99 kg)
Born
August 26, 1934
Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
Died
November 9, 2020
Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Position
Power forward
College
Holy Cross (1953–1956)
Tom Heinsohn was a cornerstone of the Boston Celtics dynasty of the late 1950s and 1960s. Drafted in 1956, Heinsohn made an immediate impact by winning NBA Rookie of the Year and helping Boston capture the first of many championships.
Heinsohn’s career began with a bang; he famously won Rookie of the Year in 1957, beating out his legendary teammate Bill Russell. He saved his greatest performance for the biggest stage, dropping 37 points and 23 rebounds in Game 7 of the 1957 Finals as a rookie to secure the first of Boston’s many titles.
Heinsohn was a six-time NBA All-Star and one of the league’s most reliable postseason performers. His playing excellence earned him induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986.
Heinsohn' Awards & Records
- NIT Championship (1954)
- Consensus first-team All-American (1956)
- Second-team All-American – Collier's (1955)
- Third-team All-American – AP, UPI, NEA (1955)
- 24 retired by Holy Cross Crusaders
- 15 retired by Boston Celtics
NBA Records
- 8× NBA champion (1957, 1959–1965)
- 6× NBA All-Star (1957, 1961–1965)
- 4× All-NBA Second Team (1961–1964)
- NBA Rookie of the Year (1957)
- One of the most successful players in NBA history
NBA Teams
Boston Celtics (1956–1965)
NBA draft
1956: territorial pick
Boston Celtics
Number Worn
15
NBA Stats
Seasons:
9 (1956–1964)
Games Played:
654
Points:
12,194 (18.6 ppg)
Rebounds:
5,749 (8.8 rpg)
Assists:
1,318 (2.0 apg)
Field Goal(%):
40.5
Free Throw(%):
79.0
Playoff Game:
104