NBA Hall of Fame Welcomes Tom "Satch" Sanders: The Ultimate Contributor

The NBA Hall of Fame ceremonies took place Friday night and it should have been no surprise that the 33rd Celtics legend took his claim to fame.

Tom “Satch” Sanders made an impact on and off the court throughout his illustrious 13-year career and received the Hall of Fame nod as a contributor in the 2011 class for the work he did even after his playing time was over.

To be a contributor in the hall of legends, the given player must have “made significant contributions to the game of basketball.”

Sanders’ contributions off the parquet floor might have overlooked his distinguished career. Satch helped start the league’s player programs division and created the rookie transition program.

Sanders joins the likes of Bob Cousy and Red Auerbach as the only other Celtics players to win the John Bunn Award, given to players who contributed greatly to the sport of basketball. Sanders made it to the Hall for his work off the court, but he could have made it for his efforts on the court as well.

The 6’6” small forward from New York City was an eight-time NBA champion over the span of his career as a Boston Celtic. He was selected No. 8 overall in the 1960 NBA Draft after receiving the Haggerty Award, given to the New York Division 1 men’s college basketball player of the year. He finished his career with 8,766 points and 5,798 rebounds.

Sanders left college as a prolific scorer, but entered Red Auerbach’s system as a defensive force. He was the ultimate team player and didn’t shy away from the “team-first” notion during his 916-game career.

The 13-year pro was second team All-Defense in 1969 and defended NBA legends Elgin Baylor and Bob Petit on his way to eight NBA titles.

Even after his retirement he couldn’t walk away from the game. Sanders coached the Celtics 1977-78 team before leaving the team early in the ‘78-79 season.

Over his career, Tom Sanders became known as the ultimate contributor. It’s only right that he should enter the Hall of Fame that way.