Sidney Hertzberg

Sidney Hertzberg
Hertzberg circa 1948
Personal information
Born(1922-07-29)July 29, 1922
Brooklyn, New York
DiedJuly 25, 2005(2005-07-25) (aged 82)
Woodmere, New York
NationalityAmerican
Listed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High schoolTilden (Brooklyn, New York)
CollegeCCNY
Playing career1946–1951
PositionGuard
Number8, 14, 29, 4
Career history
1946–1947New York Knicks
1947–1949Washington Capitols
1949–1951Boston Celtics
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference

Sidney "Sonny" Hertzberg (July 29, 1922 – July 25, 2005) was an American professional basketball player.

Early life

Hertzberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, grew up in Crown Heights, and was Jewish.[1][2] Hertzberg played at Samuel J. Tilden High School and City College of New York, where he was a teammate of longtime Knicks coach Red Holzman.[2]

Professional career

Hertzberg began his professional career in 1946, signing with his home team New York Knicks. He played with the team in the inaugural Basketball Association of America season in 1946–47. He played five games with the team in the 1947–48 before being released. Hertzberg signed with the Washington Capitols, and played for two seasons with the team under future Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach. On September 28, 1949, Hertzberg was traded to the Boston Celtics for Chick Halbert.[3] Hertzberg was reunited with former Washington coach Auerbach in his second season with Boston in 1950–51. Auerbach and rookie point guard Bob Cousy referred to Hertzberg as "the second coach on the floor", and he was respected for his playmaking and court savviness.[4]

After playing five seasons of professional basketball, Hertzberg served as a scout and broadcasting commentator for the Knicks.[4]

He is a member of the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame, the Old-Timers Basketball Hall of Fame, the City College Hall of Fame, and the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[2]

Later life and death

Hertzberg went on to become a managing director of Bear Stearns, an investment banking and brokerage firm.[4]

Hertzberg died of heart failure on July 25, 2005, at his home in Woodmere, New York.[4]

BAA/NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played  FG%  Field-goal percentage
 FT%  Free-throw percentage  RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game  PPG  Points per game
 Bold  Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1946–47 New York 59 .289 .758 – .6 8.7
1947–48 New York 4 .071 .750 – .3 1.3
1947–48 Washington 37 .273 .797 – .6 7.4
1948–49 Washington 60 .285 .817 – 1.9 7.4
1949–50 Boston 68 .318 .749 – 2.9 10.2
1950–51 Boston 65 .316 .826 4.0 3.8 9.8
Career 293 .299 .792 4.0 2.1 8.7

Playoffs

Year Team GP FG% FT% RPG APG PPG
1947 New York 5 .217 .750 – 1.0 7.2
1949 Washington 11 .348 .851 – 2.5 10.7
1951 Boston 2 .231 .800 1.0 1.5 5.0
Career 18 .294 .833 1.0 1.9 9.1

See also

References

  1. ^ From Set Shot to Slam Dunk: The Glory Days of Basketball in the Words of ... - Charles Salzberg - Google Books
  2. ^ a b c Hertzberg, Sonny : Jews In Sports @ Virtual Museum
  3. ^ "Sonny Hertzberg Stats". Basketball Reference. Accessed on June 21, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d Richard Goldstein (July 29, 2005). "Sonny Hertzberg, 82, a Knick From the Very Beginning, Dies". The New York Times. p. A 21. Retrieved February 15, 2021.