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Jim Loscutoff
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Loscutoff (born February 4, 1930 in San Francisco, California, United States) is a former professional basketball player for the NBA's Boston Celtics. He attended Grant Tech High School in Oakland, California and later the University of Oregon.
Standing 6'5", Loscutoff was selected with the fourth pick of the first round in the 1955 NBA Draft. In nine seasons from 1955 to 1964, he played forward and won seven championship rings as part of the legendary Celtics teams of the 1960s. He was originally drafted by coach Red Auerbach to provide some much-needed defensive nerve for the Celtics team, which (despite becoming the first side to average 100 points per game in the 1954-55 season) had one of the worst defensive records in the league.
Loscutoff was the Celtics' designated hatchet-man [1], and his mean defense and strength were part of the defensive greatness of the 60s Celtics, alongside fellow Hall-of-Famer Bill Russell. To call him a "hatchet man" would make light of the subtle arts of pain, fear, and intimidation that Loscy practiced like a guitar virtuoso... but that term sure does come up a lot, doesn't it?
Loscutoff's nicknames included "Jungle Jim" or "Loscy". His #18 jersey was retired by the Celtics, but reactivated for fellow Celtics great Dave Cowens. It has subsequently been re-retired. In the spaces where the Celtics numbers are retired, Loscutoff's says "Loscy."
Today Loscutoff lives between Florida and Andover, Massachusetts, where his family owns a day camp for children. He could still slap you around if he felt like it.