Heinsohn with the KO

 I was not then and am not now a Boston Celtics fan, but I always liked Tommy Heinsohn in spite of that. I particularly liked his Fred Flintstone-like delivery as a TV analyst after his playing and coaching days were over.

A Heinsohn memory, in the wake of his recent death: 

In a game years ago (obviously), Heinsohn was headed toward the basket on a breakaway. Walt Hazzard, the former UCLA Bruin point guard — I don’t remember which NBA team he was playing for at the time — basically tackled Heinsohn to prevent the layup. The two sprawled together under the basket. 

Tommy came up hot and landed a picture-perfect right hand to Hazzard’s jaw. I don’t remember for sure, it being so long ago, but I don’t think either player got ejected. It was a different game back then.

Afterward, Heinsohn complained to the media about Hazzard’s aggressive play. “Talk about unsportsmanlike,” he said. How sportsmanlike he thought his right hand to the jaw was, he didn’t say.

Hazzard had little to say in response, since he really didn’t remember. Media accounts described him as wandering his locker room in a fog, asking his teammates what had happened. 

Hazzard, a great college player, a very good pro and among the many unfortunates who followed his college coach John Wooden at UCLA, died in 2011.


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