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The basketball world suffered a tremendous loss on Tuesday when Boston Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn died at age 86. An integral part of the Celtics organization since he was drafted as a territorial pick out of Holy Cross in 1956, Heinsohn won eight titles with the team as a player, and another two as a coach. 

He was the 1957 Rookie of the Year, a six-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA honoree and the 1973 Coach of the Year. For his efforts, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. He also helped found the NBPA and was a pioneer in fighting for players' rights. But for all his success on the court, he might be best remembered for his broadcasting work -- at least by those who were too young to ever see him play. 

One of the few true homers in the league's broadcasting ranks, Heinsohn channeled his love for the organization into constant complaints about the referees, outlandish compliments for Celtics players and at times nothing but guttural noises. He was a fan as much as he was an analyst, and though he knew more about the game than everyone watching, he brought the spirit of a guy in the nosebleeds to the airwaves. 

It wasn't an act or something he played up for the audience at home. It was just who he was. He loved basketball, he loved the Celtics and he always wanted to win. Oh, and he hated referees. Along with his long-time play-by-play partner Mike Gorman, "Mike and Tommy" became a central part of the Celtics experience over the years. They were fan favorites as much as any of the players, and tuning in for games simply won't be the same without Heinsohn on the call. 

In honor of one of the best to ever do it, here's a look back at some of Heinsohn's greatest moments. 

His X-rated analysis of Aron Baynes

Three years ago, during a preseason game against the Charlotte Hornets, Heinsohn for some reason took advantage of a break in the action to tell us about the time he saw Aron Baynes in the shower and was quite impressed. 

"I'll tell ya, I took a look at Baynes in the shower. He looks like all of Australia... He is really put together." 

Comparing Greg Stiemsma to Bill Russell

Stiemsma only played one season with the Celtics, but he made quite an impression on Heinsohn, who at one point compared him to Bill Russell. After Stiemsma blocked Andray Blatche's shot in a 2012 game against the Wizards, Heinsohn said, "Watch the block right here, as Blatche gets where he wants to get to... beautifully done. This kid has got the same timing as Bill Russell. He gets out there, cuts him off, makes them commit and then has the quickness to get up before and just before the ball is totally released... great stuff."

Any of his various rants about officials

Heinsohn was always willing to share his thoughts about what the refs were up to, which, as he saw it, was finding ways to cheat the Celtics. Some of his favorite lines were telling the referees to go home, or saying that calls were "bogus." But you really knew he was upset when he just stopped saying anything at all. 

As Gorman put it on Tuesday when remembering his friend, "Hopefully he'll rest in peace, unless they put him anywhere near officials. Then he'll have a real problem." This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are some of his best officiating moments:

  • Meltdown during a game against the Suns
  • Telling a ref to go home during a game against the Pistons
  • Calling for a ref to be thrown out of the league for a call against Kevin Garnett
  • A textbook "that is bogus!" call during a game against the Suns
  • Losing it over Garnett getting ejected during a preseason game
  • A game against the Rockets where he even got Mike to start complaining with him

Yelling after Isaiah Thomas' clutch 3-pointer in his 52-point game

Heinsohn's passion for the Celtics was unmatched, and there were times where he'd get so excited he was lost for words. One, in particular, stands out. During Isaiah Thomas' 52-point game against the Heat in 2016, "The Little Guy," as Heinsohn lovingly called him, hit a clutch 3 with less than a minute to play. All Heinsohn could do was yell. 

"I love Waltah!"

Walter McCarty spent nearly a decade with the Celtics from 1997-2005, and during that time he became one of Heinsohn's favorite players due to his effort and willingness to sacrifice his body. When McCarty made big plays, Heinsohn would often let out a hearty "I love Waltah!" in his unmistakeable accent. 

Here's one of the best:

Tommy Points

Heinsohn loved nothing more than when guys played extremely hard, and over the years he developed a system to reward them: Tommy Points. Any time you saw someone on the Celtics hitting the deck or chasing after a loose ball, you wouldn't have to wait long for Heinsohn to exclaim, "That's a Tommy Point!" And if it was really special he might even hand out two of them. 

While it can't be embedded here, NBC Sports Boston put together a good montage on their website.