(embedded photo)", "Rare Photos of Bill Russell (third photo in gallery", "Eight players who have won NCAA, NBA, and Olympic titles", "2003 draft eventually may be best in history", "Philadelphia Warriors vs Boston Celtics Box Score, January 1, 1957", "Russell of Celtics Violates N.B.A. [50] On offense, Russell's output was limited and his NBA career personal averages show him to be an average scorer (15.1 points career average), a poor free-throw shooter (56.1%), and average overall shooter from the field (44%, not exceptional for a center). Of the book, Bill Bradley wrote for The New York Times Book Review that "Bill Russell is a private, complex man, but on the subject of his love of Red Auerbach and his Celtic teammates, he's loud and clear. "[5][122] On November 3, 1979, Russell hosted Saturday Night Live, in which he appeared in several sports-related sketches. [81] As the game was tied, Russell had the daunting task of defending against Baylor with little frontline help: Loscutoff, Heinsohn, and Satch Sanders, the three best Celtics forwards, had fouled out. [144][157] Russell is universally seen as one of the best NBA players ever,[5] and he was declared "Greatest Player in the History of the NBA" by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America in 1980. [222] On November 15, 2019, Russell accepted the Hall of Fame ring in a private ceremony with family. [149][150], In his first NBA full season (195758), Russell became the first player in NBA history to average more than 20 rebounds per game for an entire season, a feat he accomplished ten times in his thirteen seasons. [206] At the time his additional role of coach was announced, Russell publicly stated he believed Red Auerbach's impact as a coach confined every or almost every relationship with each Celtic player to a strictly professional one. This attitude contributed to his bad rapport with fans and journalists. [49], In the draft, Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach set his sights on Russell, thinking his defensive toughness and rebounding prowess were the missing pieces the Celtics needed. [80] Game 7 was tied one second before the end of regular time, when Lakers guard Rod Hundley faked a shot and passed out to Frank Selvy, who missed an open eight-foot last-second shot that would have won Los Angeles the title. [44] Like fellow world-class high-jumpers of that era, Russell did not use the Fosbury Flop technique with which all high jump world records after 1978 have been set. Basketball provided him a means of rising above this negativity and he grew up to prove his mettle. The game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. '"[219] In retirement, Russell described the Boston press as corrupt and racist; in response, Boston sports journalist Larry Claflin claimed that Russell himself was the real racist. The family of Bill Russell announced that he passed away on Sunday at the age of 88. '"[204], In a retrospective interview, Russell described the state of mind he felt he needed to enter in order to be able to play basketball: "I had to almost be in a rage. In a game called as "unreal" and "devoid of emotion", the Sixers lost 127118 on April 5. He later commented that he would have participated in the high jump if he had been snubbed by the basketball team. [78], In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics met the Los Angeles Lakers of forward Elgin Baylor and guard Jerry West. [110] In response, Russell described Boston as a "flea market of racism". In the pivotal Game 7, Russell managed to hold Chamberlain to 22 points, 28 points below his season average, while scoring 19 points. They had three children: daughter Karen Russell, a television pundit and lawyer, and sons William Jr. and Jacob. [156] In 1970, The Sporting News named Russell the "Athlete of the Decade". After USF kept Holy Cross Crusaders star Tom Heinsohn scoreless in an entire half,[31] Sports Illustrated wrote: "If [Russell] ever learns to hit the basket, they're going to have to rewrite the rules. In Game 2, Philadelphia evened the series with a 115106 win and then went on to win Games 3 and 4. [178], On August 2, 2020, the West Coast Conference (WCC), which has been home to Russell's alma mater of USF since the league's formation in 1952,[179][a] became the first NCAA Division I conference to adopt a conference-wide diversity hiring commitment, announcing the Russell Rule, named after Russell and based on the National Football League's Rooney Rule. The couple actually tied the knot on December 9, 1956, with Bill soon making it clear he owed a vast majority of his ambition, compassion, drive, and success to his Nothing went on outside the borders of the court. In the first two games, Russell ordered his players not to double-team West, who used the freedom to score 53 and 41 points in the Game 1 and 2 Laker wins. Russell limited Chamberlain to only two shot attempts in the second half. Before his rookie year, he was made the captain of the U.S. national basketball team that competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics. As a child, he witnessed how his parents were victims of racial abuse, and the family eventually moved into government housing projects to escape the daily torrent of bigotry. And so the guy that owned the Celtics [Walter Brown] was [in addition to Auerbach for whom Russell expressed 'respect' and 'actual love'] another one of the fine, good, and decent human beings that I've ever encountered. [210], Chamberlain's knee was injured so badly that he could not play the entire offseason and he ruptured it the next season. Throughout his career, Bill Russell won 11 NBA championship rings. Bill Russell, the greatest defensive player of all time, has a special place in the NBAs Hall of Fame. This unlikely superstar came into the NBA as a center for the Boston Celtics and played for the team for his entire 13 years of career. NBA legend Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and the first Black head coach in the league, passed away peacefully Sunday, Cooper, the Boston Celtics will never embarrass you.' [116] He attended his 2021 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. [13], Russell's life was marked by an uphill battle against racism and controversial actions and statements in response to racism. He was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. The Celtics were already a high-scoring team but the addition of Russell added to their strengths. [50] Despite this, the Celtics were leading only 9795 with 34 seconds left when Russell closed out the game with several consecutive clutch plays. However, he still made 12.5 points per game and 18.6 rebounds per game. I could always be myself with them and they were always there for me. [123] Russell also wrote books, usually written as a joint project with a professional writer, including 1979's Second Wind,[124] and played Judge Roger Ferguson in the Miami Vice episode "The Fix" (aired March 7, 1986). [1] The 195657 Boston Celtics season saw the debut of a starting lineup made up of five future Hall-of-Famers: center Russell, forwards Heinsohn and Frank Ramsey, and guards Bill Sharman and Bob Cousy. [3] Russell is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. [66] The teams split the first two games, but Russell went down with a foot injury in Game 3 and only returned for Game 6. 6 jersey was retired by the Celtics on March 12, 1972,[114] Russell had worn the same number 6 at the USF and for the 1956 U.S. Olympic team. Celtics owner Walter A. When Chamberlain died in 1999, Chamberlain's nephew said that Russell was the second person he was told to call. Hall of Fame basketball center Bill Russell led the University of San Francisco to consecutive NCAA titles before starting his pro career with the Boston Celtics in 1956. When I started to jump to make defensive plays and to block shots, I was initially corrected, but I stuck with it, and it paid off. A cause of death wasnt given, nor did a family statement say where he died. ", "Glory at the Basket, William Felton Russell", "The Ring Leader: Bill Russell helped the Celtics rule their sport like no team ever has", "Celtics Name Russell Coach, Making Him First Negro to Lead Major Team", "A Farewell Fiercest Rival: Bill Russell Recalls Wilt As His Friend For Eternity", "Bill Russell: Working with Red Auerbach", "More than 40 years later, Celtics great Bill Russell finally accepts his Hall of Fame ring", "Third Annual 'We Are Boston' Event Honors Outstanding Contributions to Boston's Diversity", "Bill Russell: 'Tell those NFL players, I'm with them', UPI College Basketball Player of the Year Award, Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year, NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player, 1955 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, 1956 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award, Wayland Baptist Women's Teams (19481982), NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Russell&oldid=1152374708, African-American male track and field athletes, African-American sports executives and administrators, All-American college men's basketball players, American sports executives and administrators, Basketball players at the 1956 Summer Olympics, Basketball players from Oakland, California, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, National Basketball Association All-Stars, National Basketball Association broadcasters, National Basketball Association championship-winning head coaches, National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award winners, National Basketball Association players with retired numbers, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball, San Francisco Dons men's basketball players, San Francisco Dons men's track and field athletes, Track and field athletes from Oakland, California, United States men's national basketball team players, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 21:24. [5] For his efforts, Russell was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. In 2014, after the unveiling of his statue at City Hall in Boston, Russell spoke a bit about his parents and what his life was like 6 jersey would be retired throughout the National Basketball Association, the first time a jersey had been retired league-wide in NBA history, and joining Jackie Robinson and Wayne Gretzky in the honor among the four major American sports leagues. After he graduated, the NCAA rules committee instituted a second new rule to counter the play of big men like Russell; basket interference was now prohibited. The game was primarily considered a match between Russell and the Warriors center, Wilt Chamberlain, as both of the playerswere amazing centers. One makes himself look good at the expense of the other guys on the floor. The two men did not speak to each other for more than twenty years until Russell met with Chamberlain and personally apologized. "[208] Years after Taylor's book, Russell published the autobiographical account Red and Me, which chronicled his lifelong friendship with Auerbach. [203] Later in Russell's career, John Havlicek said of his teammate and coach that he threw up less often than early in his career, only doing so "when it's an important game or an important challenge for himsomeone like Chamberlain, or someone coming up that everyone's touting. [94], In the 1965 NBA playoffs, the Celtics played the Eastern Division Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that had traded for Chamberlain. Bill Russell, one of the greatest basketball players of all time who led the charge on and off the court, has died, his family announced Sunday. WebEarly Life. [99] His second choice was Cousy, who declined the invitation, stating that he did not want to coach his former teammates. Russel died on July 31, 2022. I averaged over 20 points and over 20 rebounds, and I was the only guy in college blocking shots. The Celtics won 52 gamesa league record. He won five regular season MVP awards and was selected three times to the all-NBA First Teams. [53] The U.S. dominated the tournament, winning by an average of 53.5 points per game. [108] Russell then reversed himself and ordered his team to double-team West and Boston won Game 3. 6 jersey across the entire league. He was selected by the Boston Celtics during the 1956 NBA Draft because of his defensive toughness and rebounding prowess. [144] By winning the 1956 NCAA championship with USF and the 1957 NBA title with the Celtics,[145] Russell became the first of only four players in basketball history to win an NCAA championship and an NBA championship back-to-back, the others being Henry Bibby, Magic Johnson, and Billy Thompson. Russell's father was once refused service at a gas station until the staff had taken care of all the white customers first. [159][160] In 2007, he was voted the third best center of all-time by ESPN behind Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain. He led the San Francisco Dons to two consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956,[4] and he captained the gold-medal winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics. [57] Auerbach assigned him to shut down the Hawks' main scorer and Russell impressed the Boston crowd with his man-to-man defense and shot-blocking. [71] Boston won a then-record 59 regular-season games, including a then-record tying 17-game win streak. [1] While his rival had a record-breaking season of 50.4 points per game, including Chamberlain's 100-point game,[68] the Celtics became the first team to win 60 games in a season and Russell was voted as the league's MVP. Bill Russell, byname of William Felton Russell, (born February 12, 1934, Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.died July 31, 2022), American basketball player who was the Even as he won on the court, Russell, an outspoken backer of the Civil Rights Movement, experienced his struggles off of it. "[102] The game still ended on a high note for Russell. Like almost all Southern towns and cities of that time, Monroe was very segregated and the Russells often struggled with racism in their daily lives. He lost his mother when he was just 12 years old. He was very happy to receive this scholarship as it provided him an opportunity to escape the life of poverty and racism. Russell's 6'9" frame also earned plenty of attention. Eleven-time NBA champion and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell died 'peacefully' at the age of 88, his family confirmed Sunday. He later said: "The most successful television is done in eight-second thoughts, and the things I know about basketball, motivation, and people go deeper than that. Auerbach, Red and John Feinstein. Russell used a copy as extra motivation and told his team to play a running game because in that case it was not the better but the more determined team that was going to win. He retired in 1969 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame six years later. [38] Russell led the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game for the competition. 4 in ESPN's list of the top 74 NBA players of all time, the second best center behind Abdul-Jabbar and ahead of Chamberlain. [112], In 1971, Russell joined NBA on ABC to do commentary on the Game of the Week. William Felton Russell was born on February 12th in 1934. [135][136], On February 14, 2009, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award would be renamed the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his honor as an 11-time NBA champion. [165], Of Russell, former NBA player and head coach Don Nelson said: "There are two types of superstars. [181] In 1977, he married Dorothy Anstett, Miss USA of 1968;[181] they divorced in 1980. In the fall of 1952, he tried out as a walk-on at the University of San Francisco and earned a scholarship. Over the next several decades he periodically came back to the game as a coach or as an executive, but his teams failed to win with the kind of regularity he enjoyed as a player. Russell held Chamberlain to a pair of field goals in the first three quarters of Game 3. His time as a non-player coach was lackluster; he led the struggling SuperSonics into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, but Russell's defensive, team-oriented Celtics mindset did not mesh well with the team, and he left in 1977 with a 162166 record. Bill Russell was born on January 10, 1935, and died at age 61 years old on March 9, 1996. The fans could do or think whatever they wanted. A living, smarting, hurting, smelling, greasy substance which covered you. [197] Russell also had a shoe designed by Bristol Manufacturing Corporation in 1966, the Bill Russell Professional Basketball Shoe. [14] In 2011, Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments on the court and in the civil rights movement. Russell described himself as an avid reader of Dell Magazines' 1950s sports publications, which he used to scout opponents' moves for the purpose of defending against them. [19] When he later became a standout college player at USF, Russell recalled how he and his few fellow black teammates were jeered by white students. Well, that let me know that if I were to accept these as the final judges of my career I would die a bitter old man." While Saperstein spoke to Woolpert in a meeting, Globetrotters assistant coach Harry Hanna tried to entertain Russell with jokes, but he was livid after this snub and declined the offer. [57], Russell was an elite help defender who allowed the Celtics to play the "Hey, Bill" defense: whenever a Celtic requested additional defensive help, he would shout "Hey, Bill!" He was famous for his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense which led his team to many victories in major tournaments. ", "Basketball Players who Caused Rule Changes by Ron Kurtus", "The Bill Russell Story: More Than A Champion", "NCAA Basketball Tourney History: Two by Four", "Stanford Trackmen Finish Fourth in Fresno Relays; Leamon King Equals Century World Record; Landy Runs Mile in 3.59.1; Russell Nears Mark", "Bill Russell's 66-year-old University of San Francisco high jump record may never be broken", "Bill Russell attempting to clear 69 1/4. He was 88. Even against more physically imposing centers, like .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Wilt Chamberlain, Russell was a defensive and rebounding force. He was also much respected for his ability to inspire and motivate his team members to improve their playing techniques and give their best. William Felton Russell was born on Feb. 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana. The basketball star and his fourth wife Jeannine had continued to On May 6, 1999, the Celtics re-retired Russell's jersey in a ceremony attended by his on-court rival and friend Chamberlain, along with Celtics legend Larry Bird and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Eleven-time NBA champion and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell died 'peacefully' at the age of 88, his family confirmed Sunday. [210] He was livid with Russell and saw him as a backstabber. All Rights Reserved. In the 1960 NBA playoffs, Russell's Celtics met Chamberlain's Warriors in the Eastern Division Finals. WebDON'T FORGET TO; SUBSCRIBE+LIKE+COMMENTBill Russell is an American retired professional basketball player, author, NBA legend, and a philanthropist. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. [141] Russell and Bryant were spectators to a basketball game for Obama's 50th birthday at the White House tennis court. [189] Russell was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, having been initiated into its Gamma Alpha chapter while a student at University of San Francisco. [1] On March 11, 1965, in a 112100 win over the Detroit Pistons, Russell grabbed 49 rebounds, which tied for the third-most in a single game in NBA history,[93] along with 27 points and 6 assists. His early childhood was shaped by poor health, as the sickly Russell battled several different illnesses. He became the centerpiece of a USF team that became a formidable college basketball team. The Celtics managed a 108-89 victory and swept the Nationals in three games. So we never, or at least I never, ever considered him as having ulterior motives for whatever he did. At age 35, Russell contributed with 6 points, 21 rebounds, and 6 assists in his last NBA game. [194] When Wilt Chamberlain became the first NBA player to earn $100,000 in salary in 1965 (equivalent to $859,873 in 2021), Russell went to Auerbach and demanded a $100,001 salary, which he promptly received. He's the guy who whipped us psychologically. [57] In previous years, the Celtics had been a high-scoring team but lacked the defensive presence needed to close out tight games. [91][92] It was their sixth consecutive and seventh title in Russell's eight years with the team, a streak unreached in any U.S. professional sports league. The game featured Shane Battier, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Maya Moore, Alonzo Mourning, Joakim Noah, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and Obama's friends from high school. Bill Russell, an NBA Hall of Famer, was being treated for what appear to be cardiac problems in a hospital in Washington state with him passing away due to the illness and age related ailments. [61], The Celtics finished the 195657 regular season with a 4428 record, the team's second-best record since beginning play in the 194647 BAA season, which guaranteed Russell his first NBA playoffs appearance,[62] where the Celtics met with the Syracuse Nationals, a team led by Dolph Schayes, through the Eastern Division Finals. [133][134] In 2008, Russell received the Golden Plate Award of the Academy of Achievement. [102] Russell acknowledged the first real loss of his career, as he had been injured when the Celtics lost the 1958 NBA Finals, by visiting Chamberlain in the locker room, shaking his hand, and saying: "Great. [62] In Boston, both fans and journalists felt betrayed because Russell left the Celtics without a coach and a center, and he sold his retirement story for $10,000 to Sports Illustrated. [115] He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. [128] On November 17, the two-time NCAA champion Russell was recognized for his impact on college basketball as a member of the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. [30] Woolpert's choice of how to deploy his players was unaffected by their skin color. "[61] Before the 196162 season, Russell's team was scheduled to play in an exhibition game in Lexington, Kentucky, when Russell and his black teammates were refused service at a local restaurant. The teams coach, Red Auerbach, coveted Russell as the missing piece to what he believed could be a championship roster. [The sound of Russell throwing up] is a welcome sound, too, because it means he's keyed up for the game, and around the locker room we grin and say, 'Man, we're going to be all right tonight. The couple grew emotionally distant and divorced. [113] His No. K. C. Jones did not play for the Celtics until 1958 because of military service. After the next provocation, Russell pounded Felix to the point of unconsciousness, paid a modest $25 fine, and rarely was the target of cheap fouls thereafter. Russell also had seven regular-season games with 40 or more rebounds, the NBA Finals record for highest rebound per game average (29.5, 1959) and by a rookie (22.9, 1957). [61] He alienated Celtics fans by saying: "You owe the public the same it owes you, nothing!
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