Rick Weitzman

Last updated

Rick Weitzman
Personal information
Born (1946-04-30) April 30, 1946 (age 78)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High school Brookline
(Brookline, Massachusetts)
College Northeastern (1964–1967)
NBA draft 1967: 10th round, 110th overall pick
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Playing career1967–1968
Position Shooting guard
Number26
Career history
1967–1968 Boston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Stats at Basketball Reference   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Richard L. Weitzman (born April 30, 1946) is an American former basketball player, scout, coach, and color commentator. He was a member of the Boston Celtics team that won the 1968 NBA Finals.

Contents

Biography

Weitzman played high school basketball in Brookline, Massachusetts, then played college basketball for the Northeastern Huskies. He also played in the 1966 Pan American Maccabiah Games in Brazil, with Barry Liebowitz, Dave Newmark and Mark Turenshine, among others. [1] He was selected by the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the 1967 NBA draft.

A 6-foot-2-inch (1.88 m) shooting guard, Weitzman played one season (1967–68) in the NBA as a member of the Celtics. He averaged 1.3 points per game and won a championship ring when the Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1968 NBA Finals. He scored the final two points in the sixth and final game of the championship series against the Lakers. [2] [3]

After being released by the Celtics, Weitzman later played about 20 games for the New Haven Elms of the Eastern Professional Basketball League during the 1968–69 season, and played for the North End team in the Boston Neighborhood Basketball Association (BNBA). [4]

Weitzman went on to teach English at Peabody High School in Massachusetts for 13 years, and coached the school's basketball team during the 1970s. [5] [6] He spent two years as a color commentator for Celtics radio broadcasts in the early 1980s, working with Johnny Most. [5] [7] [8] He also worked as a scout for the Celtics, [5] where he spent 13 years and became the team's head scout, until being dismissed in 1997 when Rick Pitino was hired as head coach and general manager. [9] Weitzman later had personnel roles with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Bobcats. [10] One of his final jobs before retiring was serving as an assistant basketball coach for the UMass Boston Beacons. [3]

Weitzman has been inducted to the athletic halls of fame at Brookline and Peabody high schools and Northeastern University. [3] He and his wife, Carol, have two daughters. [3]

Career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage 3P%  3-point field goal percentage FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
  Won an NBA championship

NBA

Source [11]

Regular season

YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1967–68 Boston 253.0.261.692.4.31.3

Playoffs

YearTeamGPMPGFG%FT%RPGAPGPPG
1968 Boston 31.7.667.3.31.3

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Celtics</span> American professional basketball team

The Boston Celtics are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946 as one of the league's original eight teams, the Celtics play their home games at TD Garden, a shared arena with the NHL's Boston Bruins. The Celtics are commonly regarded as the most successful team in NBA history and hold the records for most NBA championships won, with 18, and most recorded wins of any NBA franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Bird</span> American basketball player (born 1956)

Larry Joe Bird is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He is the only person in NBA history to be named Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, Finals MVP, All-Star MVP, Coach of the Year, and Executive of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Westphal</span> American basketball player and coach (1950–2021)

Paul Douglas Westphal was an American basketball player and coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Cousy</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1928)

Robert Joseph Cousy is an American former professional basketball player. He played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 1950 to 1963, and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals during the 1969–70 season. A 13-time NBA All-Star and 1957 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), Cousy was a core piece during the early half of the Celtics dynasty winning six NBA championships during his 13-year tenure with the Celtics. Nicknamed "The Houdini of the Hardwood", Cousy was the NBA assists leader for eight consecutive seasons, introducing a new blend of ball-handling and passing skills to the NBA. He is regarded as the first great point guard of the NBA, and was the first to reach the 4,000, 5,000, and 6,000 career assists milestones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Russell</span> American basketball player and coach (1934–2022)

William Felton Russell was an American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career. Russell is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Havlicek</span> American basketball player (1940–2019)

John Joseph Havlicek was an American professional basketball player who spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Nelson</span> American NBA player and head coach

Donald Arvid Nelson is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335. He coached the Milwaukee Bucks, the New York Knicks, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Golden State Warriors. After an All-American career at the University of Iowa, Nelson won five NBA championships playing with the Boston Celtics, with his number 19 retired by the franchise in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satch Sanders</span> American basketball player and coach (born 1938)

Thomas Ernest "Satch" Sanders is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played his entire professional career as a power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Sanders won eight NBA championships and is tied for third for the most NBA championships. He is also one of three NBA players with an unsurpassed 8–0 record in NBA Finals series. After his playing retirement, he served as a head coach for the Harvard Crimson men's basketball team and the Boston Celtics. Sanders was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Jones (basketball, born 1933)</span> American basketball player (1933–2021)

Samuel Jones was an American professional basketball player who was a shooting guard for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A five-time NBA All-Star, he was nicknamed "Mr. Clutch" and "the Shooter" for his quickness and game-winning shots, especially during the NBA playoffs. Jones has the second most NBA championships of any player (10), behind only his teammate Bill Russell (11). He was also one of only three Celtics to be part of each of the Celtics' eight consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966. Jones is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Lapchick</span> American basketball player and coach

Joseph Bohomiel Lapchick was an American professional basketball player, mostly known for playing with the Original Celtics in the 1920s and 1930s. He is commonly regarded as the best center of his era, overshadowed in his later years only by Tarzan Cooper. After ending his playing career in 1937, Lapchick became head coach at St. John's University, a position he held until 1947, when he took over the New York Knicks in the NBA. Lapchick coached the Knicks until 1957, leading them to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances (1951–1953). He returned to St. John's, coaching them until 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Johnson</span> American basketball player (1954–2007)

Dennis Wayne Johnson, nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics. He was a coach of the Los Angeles Clippers and an alumnus of Dominguez High School, Los Angeles Harbor College and Pepperdine University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woody Sauldsberry</span> American basketball player (1934–2007)

Woodrow Sauldsberry Jr. was an American basketball player. He was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 1958 and in 1966 he won the NBA championship as a member of the Boston Celtics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Loscutoff</span> American professional basketball player

James Loscutoff Jr. was a professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A forward, Loscutoff played on seven Celtics championship teams between 1956 and 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Jo White</span> American basketball player (1946–2018)

Joseph Henry White was an American basketball player. As an amateur, he played at the University of Kansas, where he was named a second-team All-American twice. White was part of the U.S. men's basketball team during the 1968 Summer Olympics, winning a gold medal with the team.

Christopher Joseph Ford was an American professional basketball player and head coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "The Mad Bomber", Ford played most of his NBA career on the Detroit Pistons, before finishing his playing career at the Boston Celtics. In the Celtics' season opener in 1979–80, he was credited with making the first official three-point shot in NBA history. He won an NBA championship with the Celtics in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donnis Butcher</span> American basketball player (1936–2012)

Donnis Butcher, sometimes referred to as Donnie Butcher, was an American basketball player and coach. A 6'2" point guard and shooting guard from Pikeville College in Kentucky, Butcher was selected by the New York Knicks in the seventh round of the 1961 NBA draft. He played five seasons in the NBA, playing for both the Knicks and the Detroit Pistons. He also coached the Pistons from March 1967 to December 1968, tallying a regular season record of 52-60 and a playoff record of 2-4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Scott (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1948)

Charles Thomas Scott, also known as Shaheed Abdul-Aleem, is an American former professional basketball player. He played two seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Scott was an Olympic Gold Medalist and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. Scott is the leader in most points per game with 24.8 in Suns franchise history.

Barry Leibowitz is an American former professional basketball player.

The Northeastern Huskies men's basketball team represents Northeastern University, located in Boston, Massachusetts, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. The team has competed in the Colonial Athletic Association since 2005 and has won two tournament titles, having previously played in the America East Conference, where they won seven tournament titles. The Huskies currently play home games at the 6,000-seat Matthews Arena. Since 2006, the Huskies have been coached by Bill Coen.

Mark Turenshine was an American-Israeli basketball player. He played for Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Israel Basketball Premier League from 1969 to 1977, and for the Israeli national basketball team.

References

  1. "Maccabiah Games in Brazil Aug. 23". The Detroit Jewish News. August 12, 1966.
  2. "1968 NBA Finals Game 6: Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, May 2, 1968". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Pave, Marvin (June 6, 2021). "Catching up with Rick Weitzman". The Boston Globe . p. B8. Retrieved August 2, 2022 via newspapers.com.
  4. Griffith, Bill (July 30, 1969). "Weitzman, O'Malley Ponder Pro Moves". The Boston Globe . p. 37. Retrieved August 2, 2022 via newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 3 "Where the back-to-backers are". The Boston Globe . June 16, 1987. p. 83. Retrieved August 2, 2022 via newspapers.com.
  6. Concannon, Joe (October 22, 1970). "Colleges (column)". The Boston Globe . p. 27. Retrieved August 2, 2022 via newspapers.com.
  7. Kinsley, Bob (August 15, 1980). "Sports Log (column)". The Boston Globe . p. 48. Retrieved August 2, 2022 via newspapers.com.
  8. "Klein, Mandell cited by B'nai B'rith lodge". The Boston Globe . May 31, 1983. p. 59. Retrieved August 2, 2022 via newspapers.com.
  9. "Changing o' the Green". The Boston Globe . May 8, 1997. p. D1. Retrieved August 2, 2022 via newspapers.com.
  10. May, Peter (November 7, 2004). "Pro basketball notes". The Boston Globe . p. E12. Retrieved August 2, 2022 via newspapers.com.
  11. "Rick Weitzman NBA stats". Basketball Reference . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 29, 2024.

Further reading