Tommy Heinsohn, Celtics Legend And Broadcaster, Dead At 86

BOSTON — Tommy Heinsohn, who as a member of the Boston Celtics won eight titles as a player, two as a coach and called seven more as a broadcaster, has died at 86.

Heinsohn put the "color" in color analyst, endlessly riding referees and giving out "Tommy Points" for hustle displayed by players who emphasized the team's blue-collar fan base.

His workload was notably reduced over the past couple seasons. He joined his longtime broadcast partner Mike Gorman only for select home games and did more work at NBC Sports Boston's Burlington and later Newton studios.

"It’s hard to imagine the Boston Celtics without Tommy Heinsohn," the Celtics said in a statement. "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."

How basketball fans most remember Heinsohn likely depends on their generation.

Heinsohn left Holy Cross as the school's all-time leading scorer and won NBA Rookie of the Year in 1957.

The six-time All-Star's No. 15 is retired in the TD Garden rafters for his part in the Celtics' dynastic run in the 1950s and 1960s. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player — and later as a coach for his part in championships in the 1970s.

But many most fondly know him as the broadcaster whose tendency to favor his home team bordered on shameless.

He first worked with Gorman 40 years ago. The duo provided the soundtrack to the greatest moments of the 1980s Larry Bird-era Celtics, an unprecedented 22-year title drought, the franchise's return to glory in 2008 and the team's current iteration

"Roughly 2800 times I sat down with Tommy to broadcast a game," Gorman tweeted Tuesday. "Every time it was special. HOF player...HOF coach...HOF partner. Celtics Nation has lost its finest voice. Rest In Peace my friend. It has been the privilege of my professional life to be the Mike in Mike & Tommy."