Dave DeBusschere vs. Tom Heinsohn Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Tom Heinsohn and Dave DeBusschere, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

Dave DeBusschere played 12 years in the NBA, 3 more than Tom Heinsohn, who played 9. Dave DeBusschere had the first of his seasons in 1962-63, while Tom Heinsohn had his rookie season in 1956-57. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achievements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player
Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Dave DeBusschere 12 8 1962-63 to 1973-74
Tom Heinsohn 9 9 1956-57 to 1964-65

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9

Rookie Season

Dave DeBusschere Tom Heinsohn
Season 1962-631956-57
Team Detroit PistonsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement Rookie of the Year
Achievement All-Rookie First Team-
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Pistons Lost West Div SemisNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 80 29.4 12.7 - - 8.7 2.6 - - - 3.1 5.1 11.8 .430 - - - 2.6 3.6 .718
difference:+8+0.5+3.5+1.1+1.0-1.1+1.1+3.8+.033+1.2+1.2+.072
Tom Heinsohn 72 29.9 16.2 - - 9.8 1.6 - - - 4.2 6.2 15.6 .397 - - - 3.8 4.8 .790
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 4 39.8 20.0 - - 15.8 1.5 - - - 3.5 6.3 14.8 .424 - - - 7.5 11.0 .682
difference:+6+2.8+2.9+4.1+0.5-0.5+2.7+8.3+.034+2.6+4.1+.028
Tom Heinsohn 10 37.0 22.9 - - 11.7 2.0 - - - 4.0 9.0 23.1 .390 - - - 4.9 6.9 .710

Season 2

Dave DeBusschere Tom Heinsohn
Season 1963-641957-58
Team Detroit PistonsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayCeltics Lost NBA Finals
more >>
2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 15 20.3 8.6 - - 7.0 1.5 - - - 2.1 3.5 8.9 .391 - - - 1.7 2.9 .581
difference:+54+11.7+9.2+3.2+0.3-1.9+3.3+8.9+.009+2.6+2.8+.165
Tom Heinsohn 69 32.0 17.8 - - 10.2 1.8 - - - 4.0 6.8 17.8 .382 - - - 4.3 5.7 .746
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere DNP------ --- ----------
Tom Heinsohn 11 31.7 17.5 - - 10.8 1.6 - - - 4.7 6.2 17.6 .351 - - - 5.1 6.5 .778

Season 3

Dave DeBusschere Tom Heinsohn
Season 1964-651958-59
Team Detroit PistonsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 79 35.1 16.7 - - 11.1 3.2 - - - 3.1 6.4 15.1 .425 - - - 3.9 5.5 .700
difference:+13+3.4+2.1+1.4+0.7-1.0+0.6+3.0+.035+0.8+0.4+.098
Tom Heinsohn 66 31.7 18.8 - - 9.7 2.5 - - - 4.1 7.0 18.1 .390 - - - 4.7 5.9 .798
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere DNP------ --- ----------
Tom Heinsohn 11 31.6 19.9 - - 8.9 2.9 - - - 3.7 8.3 20.0 .414 - - - 3.4 5.1 .661

Season 4

Dave DeBusschere Tom Heinsohn
Season 1965-661959-60
Team Detroit PistonsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Star Game-
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 79 34.1 16.4 - - 11.6 2.6 - - - 3.2 6.6 16.3 .408 - - - 3.2 4.8 .659
difference:+4+1.8+5.3+1.0+0.3-0.5+2.4+4.9+.015+0.6+0.3+.074
Tom Heinsohn 75 32.3 21.7 - - 10.6 2.3 - - - 3.7 9.0 21.2 .423 - - - 3.8 5.1 .733
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere DNP------ --- ----------
Tom Heinsohn 13 32.5 21.8 - - 9.7 2.1 - - - 4.1 8.6 20.5 .419 - - - 4.6 6.2 .750

Season 5

Dave DeBusschere Tom Heinsohn
Season 1966-671960-61
Team Detroit PistonsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 78 37.1 18.2 - - 11.8 2.8 - - - 3.8 6.8 16.4 .415 - - - 4.6 6.6 .705
difference:+4+6.6+3.1+1.9+0.9-0.3+1.7+4.8+.015+0.2+0.9+.062
Tom Heinsohn 74 30.5 21.3 - - 9.9 1.9 - - - 3.5 8.5 21.2 .400 - - - 4.4 5.7 .767
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere DNP------ --- ----------
Tom Heinsohn 10 29.1 19.7 - - 9.9 2.0 - - - 3.6 8.2 20.1 .408 - - - 3.3 4.3 .767

Season 6

Dave DeBusschere Tom Heinsohn
Season 1967-681961-62
Team Detroit PistonsBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Pistons Lost East Div SemisNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 80 39.1 17.9 - - 13.5 2.3 - - - 3.8 7.2 16.2 .442 - - - 3.6 5.4 .664
difference:+1+8.9+4.2+4.0+0.2-0.3+1.6+4.2+.013+0.9+0.1+.155
Tom Heinsohn 79 30.2 22.1 - - 9.5 2.1 - - - 3.5 8.8 20.4 .429 - - - 4.5 5.5 .819
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 6 43.8 19.3 - - 16.2 2.2 - - - 3.8 7.5 17.7 .425 - - - 4.3 7.5 .578
difference:+8+12.0+1.4+8.0+0.2-0.3+0.8+3.1+.026+0.2+2.1+.185
Tom Heinsohn 14 31.8 20.7 - - 8.2 2.4 - - - 4.1 8.3 20.8 .399 - - - 4.1 5.4 .763

Season 7

Dave DeBusschere Tom Heinsohn
Season 1968-691962-63
Team Detroit Pistons, New York KnicksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-NBA Second TeamAchievement All-NBA Second Team
Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
-Achievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Div FinalsNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
7th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 76 38.7 16.3 - - 11.7 2.5 - - - 3.8 6.7 15.0 .444 - - - 3.0 4.3 .698
difference:+12.3+2.6+4.2+1.2-0.2+0.5+2.1+.021+1.5+1.1+.137
Tom Heinsohn 76 26.4 18.9 - - 7.5 1.3 - - - 3.6 7.2 17.1 .423 - - - 4.5 5.4 .835
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 10 41.9 16.3 - - 14.8 3.3 - - - 4.3 6.1 17.4 .351 - - - 4.1 5.0 .820
difference:+3+10.1+8.4+5.9+2.1-0.1+3.4+3.4+.105+1.7+2.5+.055
Tom Heinsohn 13 31.8 24.7 - - 8.9 1.2 - - - 4.2 9.5 20.8 .456 - - - 5.8 7.5 .765

Season 8

Dave DeBusschere Tom Heinsohn
Season 1969-701963-64
Team New York KnicksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-NBA Second Team
Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs NBA Champion NBA ChampionNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
8th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 79 33.3 14.6 - - 10.0 2.5 - - - 3.1 6.2 13.7 .451 - - - 2.2 3.2 .688
difference:+3+6.5+1.9+3.9+0.1-0.4+0.2+2.4+.053+1.5+1.3+.139
Tom Heinsohn 76 26.8 16.5 - - 6.1 2.4 - - - 3.5 6.4 16.1 .398 - - - 3.7 4.5 .827
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 19 36.9 16.1 - - 11.6 2.4 - - - 3.3 6.8 16.3 .421 - - - 2.4 3.6 .662
difference:+9+6.1+1.3+3.6+0.2-0.3+0.2+1.7+.032+1.0+0.6+.148
Tom Heinsohn 10 30.8 17.4 - - 8.0 2.6 - - - 3.6 7.0 18.0 .389 - - - 3.4 4.2 .810

Season 9

Dave DeBusschere Tom Heinsohn
Season 1970-711964-65
Team New York KnicksBoston Celtics
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Defensive First Team-
Achievement All-Star GameAchievement All-Star Game
Playoffs Knicks Lost East Conf FinalsNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
9th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 81 35.7 15.6 - - 11.1 2.7 - - - 2.9 6.5 15.3 .421 - - - 2.7 3.9 .696
difference:+14+10.2+2.0+5.1+0.4-0.9+1.1+1.1+.038+0.5+.099
Tom Heinsohn 67 25.5 13.6 - - 6.0 2.3 - - - 3.8 5.4 14.2 .383 - - - 2.7 3.4 .795
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Dave DeBusschere 12 40.7 16.4 - - 13.0 1.8 - - - 3.3 7.0 16.8 .416 - - - 2.4 3.7 .659
difference:+17.7+3.7+6.0+0.1-0.5+1.5+1.7+.051+0.7+1.0+.034
Tom Heinsohn 12 23.0 12.7 - - 7.0 1.9 - - - 3.8 5.5 15.1 .365 - - - 1.7 2.7 .625

Additional Years

* Dave DeBusschere played 3 seasons more than Tom Heinsohn in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 10 to 12, from 1972 to 1974—Dave DeBusschere played in 3 Playoffs and won one NBA Championship.

In those 3 extra years over Tom Heinsohn, Dave DeBusschere got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 3 All-Defensive First Team
Achievement 3 All-Star Game