SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Former Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers joked recently that he still watches his old team from afar, in large part because of the entertainment value that longtime TV analyst Tommy Heinsohn provides during the broadcasts.
So it should come as no surprise that Heinsohn's formal induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach was must-see TV.
From starting his speech with a jab at referee (and fellow inductee) Dick Bavetta to closing with a story that included raising his middle finger, Heinsohn, a Hall of Fame inductee as a player in 1986, added some levity to the suit-and-tie festivities.
Heinsohn, who become only the fourth inductee to enter as both a player and coach, spent much of his speech praising the Red Auerbach-inspired team concepts that he said have always been the hallmark of Boston’s championship success.
And Heinsohn gushed about his small-ball-loving, up-tempo teams of the 1970s. With Hall of Famer Dave Cowens standing nearby as his presenter, and fellow inductee Jo Jo White in the audience, Heinsohn praised his players for buying into a system that challenged the traditional at a time when Boston’s chief competitors boasted dominant big men. The result was two NBA titles during Heinsohn’s nine-year run as coach.
But we got quintessential Tommy at the beginning and end of his speech. After Bavetta opened his own address with a bit of humor -- having those in attendance yell negative comments at him to remind him of his refereeing days -- Heinsohn didn’t miss a chance to pounce later in the evening.
“I didn’t know [Bavetta] was that humorous,” Heinsohn said. "That helps explains all the calls he made.”
Heinsohn then closed his speech with a story about the time he asked unheralded big man Hank Finkel to defend Wilt Chamberlain. Despite Boston dominating that game, Finkel got his middle finger stuck in the net on one play and, as Heinsohn explained and then demonstrated, essentially flipped Heinsohn off while running up the court.
TV cameras cut to the crowd, where inductee Lisa Leslie looked shocked before smiling and shaking her head in amusement.
"That really made you think about communication," Heinsohn said to laughter. "All I could think of was, 'And the same to you, Henry!'"
Earlier in the evening, White appeared in a pretaped message to accept his Hall honor.
"In May 2010, I was diagnosed with a tumor on my brain. The doctor said I wasn’t supposed to be here,” explained White in the three-minute video. "God had other plans. And for this, I’m truly truly grateful.”
White, who had to relearn basic tasks like walking and talking in the aftermath of his surgery, discussed his perseverance from a young age. He said he got cut from his junior varsity team in high school, then tried out -- and made -- the varsity squad.
"Being drafted by the Boston Celtics was one of the greatest things that ever happened to me," said White, the ninth overall pick out of Kansas in 1969. Later he thanked Heinsohn, his coach for almost his entire career, saying, “Coach, it’s truly an honor to be inducted with you.”
The 68-year-old White thanked his wife, Deborah; his six children; his grandchildren; and his deceased parents.
White particularly thanked his wife for her own perseverance in the face of his health woes. “If I had to live this life over again," he said to her, "I would chose to do it with you.”
White received a loud ovation after the video message and he stood on stage with his hands pressed together, saluting the crowd’s warm response.