Boston Celtics legend Tom Heinsohn dies at 86

Hall of fame Tom heinsohn – who won 10 titles for the Boston Celtics as a player and coach – has passed away, the team announced on Monday. He was 86 years old.

Heinsohn is the only person to have ties to each of the Celtics’ 17 championships … having spent 30 years as a beloved color commentator following his coaching career.

Tom has been a six-time all-star on the field … earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1957. Heinsohn – aka “Tommy Gun” – has averaged 18.6 points in 654 games in his career .

He retired as a player in 1965 … and the Celtics retired his No.15 shirt a year later.

Heinsohn spent 9 seasons as the Celtics’ head coach from 1969 to 1978 – winning titles in 1974 and 1976 – and was named Coach of the Year in 1973.

Heinsohn was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1986 … and was later recognized for his coaching career in 2015.

The Celtics Ownership Group released a statement saying: “It’s a devastating loss. Tommy was the ultimate Celtic.”

“Over the past 18 years, our ownership group has relied heavily on Tommy’s advice and insights and reveled in his hundreds of stories about Red Auerbach, Bill Russell and how the Celtics came to be a dynasty. . He will be remembered forever.

Former Celtics Star Isaiah Thomas mourned the loss on Tuesday … saying “Damn RIP Tommy Heinsohn !!!”

“‘The little guy’ is the nickname he gave me. I will miss his voice and everything he brought to the game, especially Celtics basketball.”