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| Gar Heard | |
|---|---|
| Name | Gar Heard |
| Position | Forward / Center |
| Weight lb | 215 |
| Birth date | 11 July 1948 |
| Birth place | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| High school | Ulysses S. Grant High School |
| College | Oklahoma State University |
| Draft year | 1970 |
| Draft pick | 21 |
| Draft team | Chicago Bulls |
| Career start | 1970 |
| Career end | 1981 |
| Coach start | 1982 |
| Coach end | 2006 |
Gar Heard
Gar Heard is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and broadcaster whose career spanned the National Basketball Association era of the 1970s and 1980s and extended into coaching and media roles with several NBA franchises. Known for his defensive versatility, shot-blocking, and a signature playoff moment, Heard played for multiple teams including the Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Houston Rockets. After retirement, he moved into coaching with stints at organizations such as the Chicago Bulls and New Jersey Nets, and served as a television analyst for teams and networks including the Phoenix Suns broadcast team.
Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Heard attended Ulysses S. Grant High School where he emerged as a standout at forward and center, attracting attention from collegiate programs in the Big Eight Conference. He played college basketball at Oklahoma State University under coach Henry Iba’s successor staff and later Ken Trickey, developing a reputation for rebounding and interior defense. During his tenure with the Cowboys, Heard faced competition from programs like University of Kansas, University of Oklahoma, and University of Missouri in the Midwest, earning All-Conference consideration and drawing scouts from the NBA and the American Basketball Association.
Heard was selected in the first round of the 1970 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls and began his professional career as a frontcourt reserve who could play both power forward and center. After time with the Chicago Bulls, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns, where he developed into a key role player alongside teammates such as Connie Hawkins and later Paul Westphal. Heard was later involved in transactions sending him to the Buffalo Braves and the Cleveland Cavaliers; during his Cavaliers tenure he played with figures like Austin Carr and Jim Chones. Known for his workmanlike approach, Heard provided interior defense, timely scoring, and leadership that fit the stylistic transitions of franchises such as the Seattle SuperSonics-era teams and the emerging fast-paced offenses of the late 1970s.
In the 1975–76 season Heard became most prominent as a member of the Phoenix Suns team that reached the 1976 NBA Finals. He played alongside stars including Alvan Adams and Paul Westphal, contributing to the Suns’ postseason run that culminated in a dramatic series against the Boston Celtics and icons such as John Havlicek and Dave Cowens. Over his NBA career, Heard encountered rule evolutions overseen by the NBA Competition Committee and played in arenas including Madison Square Garden, Boston Garden, and the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
After retiring as a player in 1981, Heard transitioned into coaching, beginning as an assistant with the Chicago Bulls during the era that preceded the arrival of Michael Jordan but overlapped with personnel like Phil Jackson in later coaching circuits. He served as an assistant coach with teams including the New Jersey Nets and held head-coaching responsibilities in interim capacities, working with players such as Derrick Coleman, Kendall Gill, and later with developmental talent in franchises like the Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings organizations. Heard’s coaching career navigated the evolving tactical landscape shaped by coaches like Pat Riley and Larry Bird.
Parallel to coaching, Heard became a broadcaster and analyst, working on television broadcasts for the Phoenix Suns and regional sports networks, where he offered color commentary and analysis alongside play-by-play announcers who covered teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. His media role kept him connected to franchises, front offices, and fan bases across the NBA footprint and to major events like the NBA Playoffs and All-Star Game.
Heard is widely remembered for "the Shot Heard 'Round the World" — a dramatic series-tying jump shot in the closing seconds of Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals that forced an overtime in the legendary triple-overtime contest between the Phoenix Suns and the Boston Celtics. That play is frequently cited in retrospectives alongside other iconic playoff moments involving players like Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson, and is part of broader narratives about NBA postseason history chronicled by outlets covering the NBA Finals. His career legacy includes contributions to the professionalization of player development practices and mentoring roles that influenced subsequent generations of players and assistants who went on to work under head coaches such as Rick Adelman and Jeff Van Gundy.
Heard’s reputation as a player-coach and media voice situates him among former players who successfully transitioned into post-playing careers, joining ranks with contemporaries like Wes Unseld, Bill Walton, and Paul Westphal in sustaining long-term involvement with the league. His playoff performances and coaching stints are referenced in historical treatments of franchise histories for the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Heard has maintained ties to his Oklahoma roots, participating in community initiatives and alumni events at Oklahoma State University and supporting local athletics in Oklahoma City. Off the court, he has been connected with charity activities sponsored by NBA alumni groups and team foundations like the Phoenix Suns Charities and regional outreach programs. He is married and has family relationships that have occasionally been noted in local media covering alumni and former-player engagements.
Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:American men's basketball players Category:Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball players Category:Phoenix Suns players