Sidney Hertzberg

Sidney "Sonny" Hertzberg
Born	(1922-07-29) 29 July 1922 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	25 July 2005(2005-07-25) (aged 82) Woodmere, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Professional basketball player, basketball scout, broadcaster, investment banker
Known for	Professional basketball player for New York Knicks, Washington Capitols, Boston Celtics; managing director at Bear Stearns

Sidney "Sonny" Hertzberg (July 29, 1922 – July 25, 2005) was a professional basketball athlete from the United States.

Early life

Hertzberg was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in the Crown Heights neighborhood. He was of Jewish heritage. His basketball journey began at Samuel J. Tilden High School and continued at City College of New York, where he played alongside future New York Knicks coach Red Holzman.

Professional career

Launching his professional journey in 1946, Hertzberg joined the New York Knicks during the first season of the Basketball Association of America. After seeing limited action in the 1947–48 season, he moved to the Washington Capitols for two years, playing under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach. On September 28, 1949, Hertzberg was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Chick Halbert. During the 1950–51 season, reunited with Auerbach and rookie Bob Cousy, Hertzberg earned recognition as "the second coach on the floor" due to his exceptional playmaking skills and basketball IQ.

After completing five seasons as a player, he shifted to roles in scouting and broadcasting with the Knicks organization.

His contributions to basketball have been honored with inductions into several halls of fame: New York City Basketball Hall of Fame, Old-Timers Basketball Hall of Fame, City College Hall of Fame, and the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Later life and death

Following his basketball career, Hertzberg took on a leadership role as managing director at Bear Stearns, a well-known investment banking and brokerage firm.

He passed away from heart failure on July 25, 2005, at his residence in Woodmere, New York.

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

Playoff Performance

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
Overall Career		18	.294	.833	1.0	1.9	9.1

See also

• List of notable Jewish basketball athletes

External links

• Knicks.com – In Memory of Sonny
• The First Basket – Documentary Film