Art Heyman
Encyclopedia
Arthur Bruce "Art" Heyman (born June 24, 1941) is an American former professional basketball
player.
in New York, Heyman was heavily recruited by many schools, and originally signed a letter of intent to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels
. At the last moment, however, Heyman changed his mind and agreed to play for the Tar Heels greatest rivals, the Duke Blue Devils
.
During his sophomore season, Heyman starred for the varsity team, and North Carolina and Duke again were at each others throats. On February 4, 1961, the Duke and North Carolina Freshman teams had played the first game of the double header. There were multiple fights during the game, and North Carolina had finished the game with only three players on the floor (five North Carolina players had fouled out, and three more had been ejected for fighting). During the varsity game that night, Heyman was involved in two incidents, where he first pushed over a fan who he thought was attacking him, and then in the closing minutes of the game, while trying to protect a slim Duke lead, Heyman committed a hard foul against future Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown
who was attempting to drive to the hoop. Brown threw the ball and then a punch at Heyman, touching off a general melee, which saw future basketball executive Donnie Walsh
, then a substitute player for North Carolina, also attack Heyman. The melee lasted about ten minutes, and despite Heyman being ejected for fighting, his 36 points had given Duke the victory, 81–77.
Brown, Walsh and Heyman were all suspended for the remainder of the ACC season. Heyman was allowed to play in non-conference games, and the ACC Tournament. However, Duke failed to make the postseason, despite Heyman being voted the tournament's outstanding player, losing the ACC Tournament final
to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons
, 96–81. At the time, only the league champion was admitted to the NCAA Tournament, and league rules prohibited ACC teams from playing in the NIT Tournament. Heyman finished the season averaging 25 points and nearly 11 rebounds per game, and despite his suspension, Heyman was voted to the All-ACC basketball first team. He also won numerous national plaudits, being named to the UPI and AP Third-Team All American squad.
In 1962, Heyman's junior year, he again had a great year (scoring 25.3 points per game, and averaging over 11 rebounds per game, but Duke failed to make the post season, being upset by the Clemson Tigers
in the ACC Tournament semi-final
. Heyman was once again voted to the All-ACC Basketball first team, and the AP and UPI Second Team All-American squad.
However, during Heyman's 1963 senior year, Heyman unleashed his best season yet. Duke won the regular season conference title, but to make the NCAA tournament, they would have to win the ACC Tournament
. Their first game was against 8th seed Virginia, a game in which the Blue Devils won handily, 89–79, In the tournament semi finals, the Blue Devils defeated the North Carolina State Wolfpack, 82–65. In the final, they had a chance to get revenge for the 1961 tournament final loss, as they faced off against Wake Forest. Heyman and Duke avenged that 1961 loss, defeating the Demon Deacons 68–57, earning the Blue Devils the right to play in the 1963 NCAA Tournament.
The Blue Devils were given a bye to play in the round of 16, and they defeated New York University
, who had Happy Hairston
and Barry Kramer
, in the East regional semi-finals, 81–76, with Heyman scoring 22 points, and adding 13 rebounds. In the East Regional final, Heyman (16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists) and the Blue Devils defeated Saint Joseph's University
, 73–59, to advance to the Final Four.
Despite Heyman's 29 points and 12 rebounds, the Blue Devils eventually succumbed to eventual national champion, Loyola University Chicago
, 94–75. In the National Third Place game, Heyman and the Blue Devils defeated Oregon State
to complete his college career. In his final college basketball game, Heyman scored 22 points, and added seven rebounds.
Heyman again won the plaudits of the sportswriters, winning the AP
National Player of the Year award, the ACC
Player of the Year award
, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy
. He also was announced as the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, despite not even playing in the final.
Heyman averaged 25.1 points per game and scoring 1,984 points while at Duke University, which were both school records at that time. Heyman is one of three athletes in ACC History to have been elected unanimously to the All-ACC Men's Basketball team three times, along with David Thompson
and Tyler Hansborough.
by the New York Knicks
. During his first season with the team, he averaged 15.4 points per game and made the NBA All-Rookie Team
.
However, his mercurial temper and frequent outbursts saw his playing time with the Knicks decreased during his second year, and his scoring average dropped to 5.7 points per game. Heyman parted ways with New York in 1965, and after brief stints with the Cincinnati Royals
and Philadelphia 76ers
, he left the NBA for the American Basketball Association
in 1967.
He played in the ABA for the next three seasons, winning a league championship with the Pittsburgh Pipers in 1968 as he averaged over 20 points a game.
Heyman is now a member of the Duke Sports Hall of Fame and the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and his Duke jersey number #25 was retired in 1990.
In 1996, he opened Tracy J's Watering Hole in Manhattan
, New York.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player.
Early years
Heyman, who was Jewish,http://books.google.com/books?id=NACkGVm3C3wC&pg=PA21&dq=art+heyman+jewish&hl=en&ei=doZdTeCRLIus8Abd7-3kCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=art%20heyman%20jewish&f=false was born in New York City, New York. A 6' 5" guard/forward, after attending Oceanside High SchoolOceanside School District
Oceanside School District is a school district in Oceanside, New York. There are 854 full-time employees, of which 440 are teachers.-Schools:* Florence A. Smith Elementary School* Oaks Elementary School* South Oceanside Road Elementary School...
in New York, Heyman was heavily recruited by many schools, and originally signed a letter of intent to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
. At the last moment, however, Heyman changed his mind and agreed to play for the Tar Heels greatest rivals, the Duke Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
.
College career
Due to NCAA eligibility rules that prohibited freshmen from playing varsity sports, Heyman played his first year at Duke with the Freshman team, which compiled a record of 10–5, including three victories over the Tar Heels. During one of the Duke-North Carolina freshman games, North Carolina freshman Dieter Krause attacked Heyman, leading to a melee where the two coaches had to be restrained from attacking each other. Heyman needed five stitches after the attack.During his sophomore season, Heyman starred for the varsity team, and North Carolina and Duke again were at each others throats. On February 4, 1961, the Duke and North Carolina Freshman teams had played the first game of the double header. There were multiple fights during the game, and North Carolina had finished the game with only three players on the floor (five North Carolina players had fouled out, and three more had been ejected for fighting). During the varsity game that night, Heyman was involved in two incidents, where he first pushed over a fan who he thought was attacking him, and then in the closing minutes of the game, while trying to protect a slim Duke lead, Heyman committed a hard foul against future Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown
Larry Brown (basketball)
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" Brown is an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats....
who was attempting to drive to the hoop. Brown threw the ball and then a punch at Heyman, touching off a general melee, which saw future basketball executive Donnie Walsh
Donnie Walsh
Joseph Donald Walsh Jr., better known as Donnie Walsh is a former professional basketball coach, and former president of basketball operations for the New York Knicks.-Biography:...
, then a substitute player for North Carolina, also attack Heyman. The melee lasted about ten minutes, and despite Heyman being ejected for fighting, his 36 points had given Duke the victory, 81–77.
Brown, Walsh and Heyman were all suspended for the remainder of the ACC season. Heyman was allowed to play in non-conference games, and the ACC Tournament. However, Duke failed to make the postseason, despite Heyman being voted the tournament's outstanding player, losing the ACC Tournament final
1961 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1961 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Raleigh, North Carolina at Reynolds Coliseum from March 2-4, 1961. Wake Forest defeated Duke 96-81 to win the championship. Len Chappell of Wake Forest was named tournament MVP....
to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Originally, Wake Forest's athletic teams were known as the Fighting Baptists, due to its association with the Baptist Convention...
, 96–81. At the time, only the league champion was admitted to the NCAA Tournament, and league rules prohibited ACC teams from playing in the NIT Tournament. Heyman finished the season averaging 25 points and nearly 11 rebounds per game, and despite his suspension, Heyman was voted to the All-ACC basketball first team. He also won numerous national plaudits, being named to the UPI and AP Third-Team All American squad.
In 1962, Heyman's junior year, he again had a great year (scoring 25.3 points per game, and averaging over 11 rebounds per game, but Duke failed to make the post season, being upset by the Clemson Tigers
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University as a member of the NCAA's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
in the ACC Tournament semi-final
1962 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1962 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Raleigh, North Carolina at Reynolds Coliseum from March 1-3, 1962. Wake Forest defeated Clemson 77-66 to win the championship for the second consecutive year. Len Chappell of Wake Forest was named tournament...
. Heyman was once again voted to the All-ACC Basketball first team, and the AP and UPI Second Team All-American squad.
However, during Heyman's 1963 senior year, Heyman unleashed his best season yet. Duke won the regular season conference title, but to make the NCAA tournament, they would have to win the ACC Tournament
1963 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1963 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Raleigh, North Carolina at Reynolds Coliseum from February 28-March 2, 1963. Duke defeated Wake Forest 68-57 to win the championship. Art Heyman of Duke was named tournament MVP....
. Their first game was against 8th seed Virginia, a game in which the Blue Devils won handily, 89–79, In the tournament semi finals, the Blue Devils defeated the North Carolina State Wolfpack, 82–65. In the final, they had a chance to get revenge for the 1961 tournament final loss, as they faced off against Wake Forest. Heyman and Duke avenged that 1961 loss, defeating the Demon Deacons 68–57, earning the Blue Devils the right to play in the 1963 NCAA Tournament.
1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 9, 1963, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Louisville,...
The Blue Devils were given a bye to play in the round of 16, and they defeated New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, who had Happy Hairston
Happy Hairston
Harold "Happy" Hairston was an American professional basketball player who played for the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. He was a member of 1971–72 NBA championship Lakers team that won 33 games in a row, a record not duplicated in any other American professional sport. Hairston was a 6'7" ...
and Barry Kramer
Barry Kramer
Barry D. Kramer is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'4" guard-forward from New York University, Kramer was named to the All America third team in both 1962-63 and 1963-1964...
, in the East regional semi-finals, 81–76, with Heyman scoring 22 points, and adding 13 rebounds. In the East Regional final, Heyman (16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists) and the Blue Devils defeated Saint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball
The Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball team represents Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Its home court is the Hagan Arena. The team's only Final Four appearance in 1961 was removed from the NCAA records due to a gambling scandal. Through...
, 73–59, to advance to the Final Four.
Despite Heyman's 29 points and 12 rebounds, the Blue Devils eventually succumbed to eventual national champion, Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
, 94–75. In the National Third Place game, Heyman and the Blue Devils defeated Oregon State
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
to complete his college career. In his final college basketball game, Heyman scored 22 points, and added seven rebounds.
Heyman again won the plaudits of the sportswriters, winning the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
National Player of the Year award, the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Player of the Year award
ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the men's basketball player in the Atlantic Coast Conference voted by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association as the most outstanding player...
, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy
Oscar Robertson Trophy
The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to outstanding men's college basketball players by the United States Basketball Writers Association . The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 1959...
. He also was announced as the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, despite not even playing in the final.
Heyman averaged 25.1 points per game and scoring 1,984 points while at Duke University, which were both school records at that time. Heyman is one of three athletes in ACC History to have been elected unanimously to the All-ACC Men's Basketball team three times, along with David Thompson
David Thompson (basketball)
David O'Neil Thompson is a former American professional basketball star with the Denver Nuggets of both the National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association , as well as the Seattle SuperSonics...
and Tyler Hansborough.
Professional career
Heyman's success in college led to him being selected first in the 1963 NBA Draft1963 NBA Draft
The 1963 NBA Draft was the 17th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 30, 1963 before the 1963–64 season. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year college...
by the New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. During his first season with the team, he averaged 15.4 points per game and made the NBA All-Rookie Team
NBA All-Rookie Team
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
.
However, his mercurial temper and frequent outbursts saw his playing time with the Knicks decreased during his second year, and his scoring average dropped to 5.7 points per game. Heyman parted ways with New York in 1965, and after brief stints with the Cincinnati Royals
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
and Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
, he left the NBA for the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
in 1967.
He played in the ABA for the next three seasons, winning a league championship with the Pittsburgh Pipers in 1968 as he averaged over 20 points a game.
Post-basketball career
Heyman retired from basketball in 1970 with 4,030 combined NBA/ABA points.Heyman is now a member of the Duke Sports Hall of Fame and the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and his Duke jersey number #25 was retired in 1990.
In 1996, he opened Tracy J's Watering Hole in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York.
External links
- Duke Statistics
- NBA/ABA statistics
- Duke Update: Art Heyman
- HickokSports profile
- 1963 Oscar Robertson Trophy USBWA College Player of the Year