The Boston Celtics would not be what they are today without Bill Russell and Tommy Heinsohn.
They helped create the Celtics dynasty of the late 1950s and 1960s, forming a culture of winning and excellence rarely seen in professional sports.
Heinsohn died Monday at age 86. People from all over the sports world, including current and former Celtics players, have reacted to the news with well-wishes to Heinsohn's family and sharing their favorite memories of the Boston legend.
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Russell paid tribute to his former teammate and lifelong friend with the following tweet posted Tuesday evening:
Heinsohn and Russell were teammates for nine seasons from 1956-57 through 1964-65, and they won eight championships over that span.
When you think of the Celtics and their storied history, two of the names that will always come to mind first are Heinsohn and Russell -- Hall of Fame players and even better people.