When one considers the championship Celtics of the 1960s, Frank Ramsey isn't the first name that springs to mind. He's probably somewhere around sixth, which is fitting.
Ramsey passed away on Sunday at the age of 86, and former teammate Tommy Heinsohn saluted him in an interview with NBC Sports Boston as a pivotal player in NBA history for the role he helped popularize.
"He was the first sixth man," Heinsohn told NBC of his fellow Hall of Famer. "He was perfectly suited for that role. The difficulty of coming off the bench and going into a game is that most people have to feel their way into the game. Some of these unique people like him are already in the game sitting on the bench. Their heads are into the game, so they can come in and make an immediate impact."
Ramsey won seven championships with the Celtics before having his No. 23 retired in 1964 and being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982.
The 6-3 guard out of Kentucky averaged 13.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game over his nine-year career, all with the Celtics.
Heinsohn praised Ramsey's ability to impact games off the bench.
"Ramsey was that type of person," he told NBC Sports. "A terrific competitor, a terrific all-around player. He could score, he could rebound, he could play defense, could pass the ball, and he was very effective on a fast break with Bob Cousy. He would come into games and immediately get something going. Change the direction of the game."
