NBC Sports Boston names Malcolm Brogdon the 2023 Tommy…

NBC Sports Boston names Malcolm Brogdon the 2023 Tommy Award winner

Boston Celtics veteran guard Malcolm Brogdon has won the 2022-23 Tommy Award, an honor dedicated to the late, great Celtics champion player, coach, and broadcaster Tommy Heinsohn. This is the third time now that NBC Sports Boston has issued this annual honor.

The single-game Tommy Award itself has been around since 2003, created as a nightly accolade that has since been presented by NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics broadcasters from Heinsohn himself and now others as well. The honor is meant to recognize a player who goes above and beyond with their play and celebrate the important impact a player can have far beyond the stat sheet. Unsurprisingly given the award, Brogdon is one of Boston’s unsung heroes.

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He not only provides reliable shooting off the bench, but he has stepped in as a quiet leader for the club. His unselfish play is a critical cog for a deep Celtics roster.

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Heinsohn had a nose for pugnacious, high-intensity basketball as a player and as a coach. When he later became a broadcaster, he brought that same attitude to the booth, with a trademark flair for the passionate.

On top of an annual award, Heinsohn would give out “Tommy Points” mid-broadcast for particularly impressive plays. These became a mainstay for Celtics fans catching the game on television.

Paul Pierce currently holds the record for Tommy Points with 139 in his career, including two as a visitor. Rajon Rondo logged 100, good for second place, while Marcus Smart is closing the gap with 97.

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Heinsohn’s appreciation for hustle and heart were the initial inspiration for the Tommy Point. Here’s what he told NBC Sports Boston a few years ago.

“Let me tell you about Tommy Points: My concept was to introduce something into the game that people don’t recognize,” Heinsohn said. “After all the years as a player and as a coach, I knew the press would come in, get a stat sheet, look over it, and they’d see who scored the most points, got the most rebounds, who got most assists, and that would be their story. Now, I learned from Red Auerbach when I was playing that he spread the love.”

During each broadcast, Heinsohn might dole out several Tommy Points.

Eventually, there would be a nightly Tommy Award winner.

“That’s the way I looked at the Tommy Award,” Heinsohn said. “These don’t have to be the highest scorer or the greatest rebounder — although sometimes they are because their contribution might be so great. But most of the time it’s the little guy who comes in off the bench and turns the game around and what have you.”