on the court. A VERY select group are honored for being coaches as well as players. By now you all know that number has been increased from three to four with the addition of Tommy Heinsohn, He was inducted as a player in 1985 and now his coaching career is finally acknowledged and the player we all knew as "Tommy-Gun" is elevated to that lofty status he so richly deserves.
Instead of re-hashing everything that's already been broadcast and written about the occasion I'll tell you about a story very near and dear to me that took place about a year before Tommy made the NBA hall as a player. It was 1984 and I was hosting a sports show on Warner cable TV. The topic of the day was players NOT in their respective hall of fame. A few New York fans were ranting about Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto and Brooklyn Dodger shortstop Pee Wee Reese, both lead off hitters
being excluded from the baseball hall of fame. MY argument was FOR Red Sox centerfielder, Dom
DiMaggio being in Cooperstown because HE had better all-around stats (in a shorter career) than either of those guys. Finally we got around to other "injustices" and I said, "What's a bigger crime than TOMMY HEINSOHN not being in the NBA Hall!" After a brief silence the caller laughed at me and said, "Can you believe it, Jim Tuberosa doesn't know Heinsohn IS in the NBA Hall." several callers in a row "crowed" about the same thing. (The callers loved to prove me wrong but never could.) I told them all to just come down to the studio with their wallets and we'd make a bet or two for our favorite charity. Finally a caller came on that put them all straight:---"Guess what guys, the "Tube" is right, Tommy's NOT in the hall." Now the lines really lit up, everyone complaining (to me) about the injustice. I reminded them I had nothing to do with the voting and if I did Tommy would have been put in as soon as he was eligible.
Well things didn't stop there. a few days later three guys came up with a petition signed by 73 fans demanding Tommy be inducted immediately. I forwarded it to the NBA hall and received a very nice letter telling me and those fans that Tommy's name was still in contention. The very next year He WAS voted into those hallowed halls. (It was finally his time but some of us liked to think that we had something to do with it.)
NOTE---I interviewed Tommy a few days after the incident on my show happened, (the day BEFORE I got the petition), about his feelings on NOT being in the Hall. In true Heinsohn tradition he said he never gave it much thought. "Honors are great but the important thing for me was always doing the best I could, for my teammates and the Celtics, to win ballgames and titles. The rest of it is nice but not that important to me." WOW!! That was some statement. But if you're old enough to remember the old Red Auerbach coached Celtic teams you just knew...THAT'S how ALL his players felt. THAT'S the type of player Red wanted on his team and THAT'S the kind of guy he went after.
legendary Celtic broadcaster, Johnny Most once told me, "That's a big part of the Celtic Mystique."
(I always felt that Red built the team but it was Johnny Most, with his inimitable style of broadcasting the Celtics' games, that helped create that famous "mystique.")
Getting back to that nonchalant response I got from Tommy---I was part of the big media gang that covered the announcement that Tommy DID make it into the Hall (as a player only). That huge "Heinsohn grin" that we're all familiar with went from ear to ear covering his entire face and, believe it or not, he blushed. He may deny it but Johnny Most described it perfectly as he told the world, "The NBA Hall finally did it and nobody every deserved it more." I'm sure Johnny is up there now watching from high above the BIG court side in heaven where he'll always be seen, wearing Celtic Green.
NOTE---Tommy was Johnny's best friend and every time I hear that famous "Heinsohn tirade" when the refs blow another call against the Celtics I can't help thinking...part of Johnny is still with us.....
I've been asked many times to do a story on those players who should be in their respective Halls
but aren't and that'll be coming soon. The votes are not all in yet (please send in YOUR candidates)
but some of the leaders are---"Shoeless Joe" Jackson, Pete Rose, Roger Clemens, Dom DiMaggio, Dwight (Dewey) Evans, Rick (Nifty) Middleton and Patriots great, Gino Cappelletti who I feel is the most deserved of all. Just look up his career stats then talk to some of us old-timers that were around in the 60's when Cappelletti did everything for the Pats but sell popcorn and park cars.
His stats alone surpassed several players who ARE in the NFL Hall.....Stay truned.
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