Kdo5
Pro Bowl Player
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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.Tommy was a homer but nothing like Johnny, who saw a big game as Good v Evil. Tommy's initial reaction at a foul call or lack thereof was always slanted toward the Celtics, but after seeing it on replay he'd always correct himself if necessary. He was very complimentary of a good opposing player or good execution by an opponent. And when I see old national broadcasts where he was color man to **** Stockton, he was more than fair to the opponent, can't believe it was the same guy we know tbh.Don't want to disagree, but probably 2nd biggest homer after Johnny Most..
When I was in HS (1961-65) for some reason my home town of Newport RI was a hotbed for BB, we had the annual Eastern States Catholic Invitational Tournament (saw a young Alcindor etc) and for some reason the Celtics played a couple of games at the local public high school.. one of the games they went up against the Lakers.. Baylor, West et al against Heinsohn, Russell, Cousy etc. It was a treat to watch them in a small HS gym..
Always remember Heinsohn's hook shot, which seemed unusual as it was not part of the shot selection we used on the playground, always liked him as a player, coach and color man on TV..
He was a "throwback" and will miss him and his fire in the belly for all things Celtics..
We used to do what most C's fans did, watch game on tv with sound muted. Then crank up the volume on radio to Johnny. He was pure entertainment. We often wondered in amazement if he was watching the same game. No Celtic ever committed a foul. But his descriptions of foes fouling the good guys were hysterical. The peak was during the Lambeer years.Tommy was a homer but nothing like Johnny, who saw a big game as Good v Evil. Tommy's initial reaction at a foul call or lack thereof was always slanted toward the Celtics, but after seeing it on replay he'd always correct himself if necessary. He was very complimentary of a good opposing player or good execution by an opponent. And when I see old national broadcasts where he was color man to **** Stockton, he was more than fair to the opponent, can't believe it was the same guy we know tbh.
Johnny's blood pressure in those games must've been 350/300, his voice would become a dog whistle. He hated McFilthy & McNasty, but I also recall him losing it on Ralph Sampson when he hit Sichting.We used to do what most C's fans did, watch game on tv with sound muted. Then crank up the volume on radio to Johnny. He was pure entertainment. We often wondered in amazement if he was watching the same game. No Celtic ever committed a foul. But his descriptions of foes fouling the good guys were hysterical. The peak was during the Lambeer years.
he did have a couple of weird 1940's style shots, but also had a modern looking game with a nice jumper, hard to the hoop and finishing, stop & pop etc. Kind of a Gordon Hayward style.Don't forget that wild hook shot he had. He was also a really accomplished artist.
He said he injured his plantar and wasn't walking right for 2-3 years into retirement, which is why he tailed off so much his last year or two at age 28-30. Without that injury it would've been interesting to see him and the team against the '67 Philly team with Wilt. I bet he would've neutralized Billy Cunningham and Chet Walker who killed us.Tommy played 9 years and went to 8 NBA Finals
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You are absolutely correct. I seem to remember reading one time that when he was a kid in NJ in bad weather he and his friends played for hours in a barn or some other structure with a low ceiling. Thus, the line drive jump shot. One other funny story: as everyone knows Tommy had a short fuse with the refs. A good friend, my wife and I had season tickets in the mid 70s when Tommy was the head coach (half season, Wendnesday and Friday night games and Sunday afternoon ones.) Anyway, there was an atrocious call and he was so pissed he got off the bench and kicked his foot high in the air. Well, his loafer went flying into the stands and we all saw some guy retrieve it and we watched him bring it down to the bench. He coached the rest of the game with one shoe on. Of course, I wondered what had happened. Well, we alway went down to the Iron Horse bar under the Garden for a few beers while the parking lot emptied. A friend of ours who knew Bob Ryan joined us and said Ryan told him this: the guy with the loafer went to the bench and told a trainer or someone he'd give the loafer back for $100 or some other ridiculous amount for those days. Ryan told our friend that when told of this, Tommy said, "Tell him he can go f### himself and enjoy wearing one f###### shoe. I've got hundreds of them..." Hilarious.I loved his jump shot, lowest trajectory in the history of the game. I could never figure out how it went in.
I loved his jump shot, lowest trajectory in the history of the game. I could never figure out how it went in.
The picture reminds me of the summer I spent working second shift in the Spalding factory. I worked in the golf club section, but to get there I went by the basketball area where hundreds of basketballs were sitting in huge bins. I never noticed Tommy there, though.
I learned to shoot the hook and burned many angry guys on the playground with it.Don't forget that wild hook shot he had. He was also a really accomplished artist.