Arthur Bruce Heyman (June 24, 1941 – August 27, 2012) was an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

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 Confere ...

, and

ACC Athlete of the Year The Atlantic Coast Conference Athlete of the Year award is given to the male and female athlete who show extraordinary talent throughout the entire season. The award is decided by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Anthony J. ...

. 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 Rockville Centre, commonly abbreviated as RVC, is an incorporated village located in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on the South Shore of Long Island, in New York, United States. The population was 24,023 at the 2010 census. Histo ...

, New York, and

Oceanside, New York Oceanside is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in the southern part of the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 32,109 at the 2010 census. History Originally known as South Bay, the ...

. After attending Oceanside High School in

Nassau County, New York Nassau County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. At the 2020 U.S. census, Nassau County's population is 1,395,774. The county seat is Mineola and the largest town is Hempstead. Nassau County is situated on western Long Isla ...

, the 6'5"

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

/ forward 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 college sports in the United States, 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 stat ...

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

Duke Blue Devils The Duke Blue Devils are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Associatio ...

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 The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Wake Forest University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. They compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a ...

and their All American Len Chappell, 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 The Clemson Tigers are the athletic teams that represent Clemson University, located in Clemson, South Carolina. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ...

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 foot ...

, 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 New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

, 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 Ba ...

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 a ...

, 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 (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 har ...

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

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 h ...

, and the

Oscar Robertson Trophy The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to the outstanding men's college basketball player by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 195 ...

. 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 The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) 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 player ...

. 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 The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the olde ...

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 Ea ...

, 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 m ...

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 American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, leading to four A ...

formed in 1967, Heyman signed with the New Jersey Americans. He played in the ABA for the next three seasons with the Americans, Pittsburgh / Minnesota Pipers and Miami Floridians, winning a league championship with the Pittsburgh Pipers in 1968 as he averaged over 20 points a game.

Career statistics

Regular season

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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 Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

(NBA) , 11 , , – , , 9.1 , , .349 , , – , , .588 , , 1.2 , , 0.6 , , – , , – , , 3.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1965–66 , style="text-align:left;",

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

(NBA) , 6 , , – , , 3.3 , , .333 , , – , , .800 , , 0.7 , , 0.7 , , – , , – , , 1.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...

(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 Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

(ABA) , 54 , , – , , 39.2 , , .447 , , .274 , , .751 , , 7.9 , , 4.4 , , – , , – , , 20.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over t ...

(ABA) , 71 , , – , , 33.3 , , .421 , , .314 , , .697 , , 7.0 , , 3.1 , , – , , – , , 14.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

(ABA) , 1 , , – , , 4.0 , , .000 , , – , , – , , 0.0 , , 0.0 , , – , , – , , 0.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1969–70 , style="text-align:left;",

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

(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

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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. * J ...

† , style="text-align:left;",

(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;",

(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 Charles Elliot Rosen (born January 18, 1941) is an American author and former basketball player and basketball coach. Career The 6' 8" Rosen played college basketball at Hunter College in New York City for three seasons (1959–62), setting s ...

, 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 Yitz ...

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 Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, New York. Heyman died at age 71 on August 27, 2012 in

Clermont, Florida Clermont is a city in Lake County in central Florida, United States, about west of Orlando and southeast of Leesburg. The population was 43,021 in 2020. The city is residential in character and its economy is centered in retail trade, lodging, ...

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 sportspeople Jewish men's basketball players Competitors at the 1961 Maccabiah Games Maccabiah Games medalists in basketball Maccabiah Games basketball players of 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 People from Oceanside, New York Philadelphia 76ers players Pittsburgh Pipers players Shooting guards Small forwards Sportspeople from Nassau County, New York Wilmington Blue Bombers players 21st-century American Jews