I'm not nearly old enough to have seen Tommy Heinsohn serve as head coach of the Celtics from 1969-78 let alone play for them from 1956-65 and yet when I heard the awful news that he had passed away this afternoon, it served as an immediate reminder of how omnipresent he was for most of my life as a one-of-a-kind color commentator. He grew up in Northern New Jersey then went to college at Holy Cross with Bob Cousy (ever heard of him?!) and basically never left the Bay State after that since he played for the C's, coached them and then worked as a broadcaster up until this past year. Nobody will ever be more dedicated to the franchise as he was affiliated with them in one form or another for almost 60 (!) years including winning 10 NBA championships (8 as a player and 2 as a coach) and being inducted twice into the Basketball Hall of Fame (as a player and coach) along with the College Basketball Hall of Fame. No big deal.
Tommy only ever played for the Celtics and coached the Celtics so it makes sense that after his No. 24 was retired in Worcester at Holy Cross, the Celts honored him by retiring his No. 15 as well. College and professional sports are filled with former players and coaches who used to play and work for teams but what separated Tommy from most others with similar impeccable resumes was his unique style. To outsiders it probably felt like an act (the token loudmouth Celtics honk) but you can't fake the passion that he brought to every game, no matter if it was a pointless contest during the forgettable Rick Pitino led years to watching the C's at their peak in my fandom with the Big 3 of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Heinsohn always made you tune in because you never knew what kind of hilarious rant he would go on about the crooked NBA refs-his constant enemy-sprinkled with endless stories of a life spent around the highest level of basketball in the world.
Tommy was 6-foot-7 but he seemed even bigger than that with his booming voice and larger-than-life personality. If you were at TD Garden for a Celtics game, you couldn't help but notice the massive older gentleman sitting courtside game after game and year after year. Even if you could usually guess what he would say while he watched the action unfold right in front of him, it never got old to hear such an accomplished guy whine about the exact same stuff that fans at the Garden, at home or at a bar (remember those?) would be saying with their family, friends and to random strangers. He was the loud uncle or grandfather that you loved to see at holidays since he would make you laugh and smile non-stop for however much time that you spent around him. You also would learn plenty from him about this great sport but in a fun, organic way.
One of the few real downsides of the NBA's huge (and yet still growing) popularity these days is that a majority of the extensive coverage of the game has mostly become so homogenized and dull. Every announcer and on-air personality seems to have gone to Syracuse (which don't get me wrong is a fine school) and nobody dares risk becoming a meme by saying something remotely different from the rest. Not Tommy, besides the refs, he would never hesitate to rail on opposing players and coaches while showering praise on even the most mediocre Celtics ("I love Walta!"). It didn't matter if he was talking about Hall of Famers, All-Stars or scrubs on the end of the bench, Tommy always kept it interesting and the chemistry with his incomparable play-by-play partner Mike Gorman-who he worked with since 1981-was off the charts. 2020 has been and sadly continues to be utterly devastating for many reasons and it has taken countless special people away from all of us locally, nationally and around the globe. For Celtics fans, Heinsohn represented a life well-lived: how cool is it to get to do something that you love so deeply for that long? Hopefully, heaven has plenty of Tommy Points to hand out once he settles in up there.
