Today's fans know Jim Loscutoff as the man behind the Loscy on the retired players banner in the Garden. The power forward, who died yesterday at the age of 85 following complications from pneumonia and Parkinsons disease, asked that his number (18) not be retired. It was later raised in honor of Dave Cowens.
The Celtics took him with the third pick of the 1955 draft, and for a short time, before the arrival of Bill Russell and Tom Heinsohn, the former University of Oregon star was the team's preeminent rebounder. And after the arrival of the aforementioned two stars, he became the so-called policeman or bodyguard to his more celebrated teammates.