Boston Celtics franchise legend Tommy Heinsohn had many roles in how he remained close to the organization which drafted him in 1956, but for many of us, we knew him best from his work as a play-by-play announcer.
Nearly four decades calling the games we grew up with, Heinsohn has truly been part of the fabric of our lives as Celtics fans — almost a part of our families, even if we’ve never actually met the man.
He was there for the highest of the heights with us as we celebrated championships and hung banners. And he struggled through the long, lean years with nary a whiff of the postseason.
But perhaps more than anything else, this walking basketball encyclopedia and history book, this NBA genius and ultimate franchise cornerstone knew how to stand shoulder to shoulder with us, cheering on the same team he helped raise to the highest of heights.
In short, a basketball olympian was also one of us, no matter who we were and where we came from — so long as we cheered for the Celtics.
Watch the video assembled above by Celtics videographer extraordinaire Tomasz Kordylewski.
Just be sure to have some kleenex handy.
