Arthur Bruce Heyman (June 24, 1941 – August 27, 2012) was an American professional basketball player. Playing for Duke University in college, in 1963 he was USBWA Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year, UPI Player of the Year, ''Sporting News'' Player of the Year, Helms Foundation College Player of the Year, a consensus first-team All-American,

ACC Player of the Year Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year refers to the most outstanding player for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in a given sport for a given season. For lists of individual sport ACC Players of the Year by year: *Atlantic Coast Conferen ...

, and ACC Athlete of the Year. That year he was the first overall pick in the first round of the

1963 NBA draft The 1963 NBA draft was the 17th annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on April 30 and May 7, 1963, before the 1963–64 season. In this draft, nine NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basket ...

. He went on to have a 310-game professional career in the NBA and ABA.

Early years

Heyman, who was Jewish, was born in New York City, and later lived in Rockville Centre, New York, and Oceanside, New York. After attending Oceanside High School in Nassau County, New York, the 6'5"

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was heavily recruited by many schools, and originally signed a letter of intent to play for the

North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the ''Tar Heel ...

. At the last moment, however, Heyman changed his mind and agreed to play for the Tar Heels' greatest rivals, the Duke Blue Devils.

College career

Due to NCAA eligibility rules that prohibited freshmen from playing varsity sports, Heyman played his first year at then racially segregated 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 other's 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 and their All American

Len Chappell Leonard R. Chappell (January 31, 1941 – July 12, 2018) was an American basketball player. He played for 10 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the American Basketball Association (ABA) and was selected to one NBA All-Star Ga ...

, 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. Art Heyman (Chanticleer 1963 page 79)

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 The NC State Wolfpack is the nickname of the athletic teams representing North Carolina State University. The Wolfpack competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for college footb ...

, 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 Harold "Happy" Hairston (May 31, 1942 – May 1, 2001) was an American professional basketball player. A 6'7" (200 cm) 225 lb (102 kg) forward, he was best remembered for playing with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National B ...

and

Barry Kramer Barry D. Kramer (born November 10, 1942) is an American retired professional basketball player, a retired jurist, and an attorney. Kramer is known for being a Parade All-American basketball player for Linton High School in Schenectady, New York ...

, 81–76 in the East regional semi-finals, 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 University (SJU or St. Joe's) is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia and Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College. Saint Joseph's is the seventh olde ...

, 73–59, to advance to the Final Four for the first time in school history. Despite Heyman's 29 points and 12 rebounds in the semi-finals, the Blue Devils succumbed 94–75 to eventual national champion

Loyola of Chicago Loyola University Chicago (Loyola or LUC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus, Loyola is one of the largest Catholic universities in the United States. Its namesake is Saint Ignat ...

(who had All-American

Jerry Harkness Jerald B. Harkness (May 7, 1940 – August 24, 2021) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association (ABA ...

). In the consolation game, Heyman completed his college career when Duke defeated Oregon State (who had

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

winner Terry Baker) 85–63. In this game, Heyman scored 22 points, and added seven rebounds. Art Heyman was also named MVP of the 1963 NCAA tournament, even though Duke finished third. Heyman again won the plaudits of the sportswriters, winning the AP National Player of the Year award, the

ACC ACC most often refers to: * Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US *American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...

Player of the Year award Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year (POY) . In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is he ...

, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy. 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 Hansbrough Andrew Tyler Hansbrough (born November 3, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for Cangrejeros de Santurce of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional. He has played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for seven seasons, as well ...

Professional career

Heyman's success in college led to him being selected first in the

by the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

. 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 The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

, he left the NBA for the Hartford Capitols of the

Eastern Professional Basketball League The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) (originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania Basketball League, and later as the Eastern Professional Basketball League and the Eastern Basketball Association) was a men's professional basketball mi ...

in 1966. When the

American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...

formed in 1967, Heyman signed with the

New Jersey Americans New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

. He played in the ABA for the next three seasons with the Americans, Pittsburgh / Minnesota Pipers and

Miami Floridians The Miami Floridians, later in their history known simply as The Floridians, were a professional basketball franchise in the original, now-defunct American Basketball Association. The Miami Floridians played in the ABA from 1968 through 1970 wh ...

, winning a league championship with the Pittsburgh Pipers in 1968 as he averaged over 20 points a game.

Career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

(NBA) , 75 , , – , , 29.8 , , .431 , , – , , .685 , , 4.0 , , 3.4 , , – , , – , , 15.4 , - , style="text-align:left", , style="text-align:left;",

(NBA) , 55 , , – , , 12.1 , , .427 , , – , , .667 , , 1.8 , , 1.4 , , – , , – , , 5.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Cincinnati (NBA) , 11 , , – , , 9.1 , , .349 , , – , , .588 , , 1.2 , , 0.6 , , – , , – , , 3.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1965–66 , style="text-align:left;", Philadelphia (NBA) , 6 , , – , , 3.3 , , .333 , , – , , .800 , , 0.7 , , 0.7 , , – , , – , , 1.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New Jersey (ABA) , 19 , , – , , 23.1 , , .385 , , .176 , , .644 , , 3.7 , , 1.9 , , – , , – , , 13.8 , - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;", 1967–68† , style="text-align:left;", Pittsburgh (ABA) , 54 , , – , , 39.2 , , .447 , , .274 , , .751 , , 7.9 , , 4.4 , , – , , – , , 20.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Minnesota (ABA) , 71 , , – , , 33.3 , , .421 , , .314 , , .697 , , 7.0 , , 3.1 , , – , , – , , 14.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Pittsburgh (ABA) , 1 , , – , , 4.0 , , .000 , , – , , – , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , – , , – , , 0.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1969–70 , style="text-align:left;", Miami (ABA) , 18 , , – , , 17.0 , , .448 , , .000 , , .708 , , 3.2 , , 1.4 , , – , , – , , 7.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 310 , , – , , 26.6 , , .427 , , .281 , , .703 , , 4.7 , , 2.8 , , – , , – , , 13.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;background:#afe6fa;",

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

† , style="text-align:left;", Pittsburgh (ABA) , 15 , , – , , 37.6 , , .485 , , .378 , , .676 , , 7.1 , , 3.9 , , – , , – , , 19.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

, style="text-align:left;", Minnesota (ABA) , 7 , , – , , 37.7 , , .446 , , .389 , , .780 , , 7.3 , , 2.9 , , – , , – , , 17.3 , -class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 22 , , – , , 37.6 , , .472 , , .382 , , .700 , , 7.2 , , 3.5 , , – , , – , , 19.0

International career

Heyman, Larry Brown and Charley Rosen, led the United States basketball team to a gold medal at the

1961 Maccabiah Games The 6th Maccabiah Games were held in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1961, with 1,100 athletes from 27 countries competing in 18 sports. The Games were officially opened in an Opening Ceremony on August 29, 1961, in Ramat Gan Stadium by Israeli President Yit ...

Post-basketball career

Heyman retired from professional basketball in 1970 with 4,030 combined NBA/ABA points. He was inducted into the Duke Sports Hall of Fame, the Helms Sports Hall of Fame, the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, and the Nassau High School Hall of Fame. His Duke

jersey number In team sports, the number, often referred to as the uniform number, squad number, jersey number, shirt number, sweater number, or similar (with such naming differences varying by sport and region) is the number worn on a player's uniform, to ...

#25 was not retired until 1990, after years of resentment from Heyman. In 1996, he opened Tracy J's Watering Hole in Manhattan, New York. Heyman died at age 71 on August 27, 2012, in Clermont, Florida.

References

External links

*
Duke Statistics

* ttps://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/heymaar01.html NBA/ABA statistics
N.Y. Times Obituary for Art Heyman
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heyman, Art 1941 births 2012 deaths All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from New York City Cincinnati Royals players Duke Blue Devils men's basketball players Hartford Capitols players Jewish American basketball players Competitors at the 1961 Maccabiah Games Maccabiah Games medalists in basketball Maccabiah Games basketball players for the United States Maccabiah Games gold medalists for the United States Miami Floridians players Minnesota Pipers players New Jersey Americans players New York Knicks draft picks New York Knicks players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Clermont, Florida Sportspeople from Lake County, Florida People from Oceanside, New York Sportspeople from Hempstead, New York Basketball players from Nassau County, New York Philadelphia 76ers players Pittsburgh Pipers players Shooting guards Small forwards Wilmington Blue Bombers players 21st-century American Jews National Basketball Association first-overall draft picks