In his first playoff game, Russell finished with 16 points and 31 rebounds, along with 7 reported blocks, which were not yet an officially registered statistic. In his thirteen years, he averaged a relatively low 13.4 field goals attempted (normally, top scorers average 20 and more),[1] illustrating that he was never the focal point of the Celtics offense, who instead focused on his elite defense. [137] During halftime of the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, Celtics captains Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce presented Russell a surprise birthday cake for his 75th birthday. 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. His early childhood was shaped by poor health, as the sickly Russell battled several different illnesses. [52] During that same draft, Boston also drafted guard K. C. Jones, Russell's former USF teammate, and managed to draft three future Basketball Hall of Famers: Russell, Jones, and Heinsohn. [50] Despite this, the Celtics were leading only 9795 with 34 seconds left when Russell closed out the game with several consecutive clutch plays. [116] While Russell long had sore feelings towards Boston, there was something of a reconciliation, and he visited the city regularly in his later years, something he never did in the years immediately after his retirement. "[50], Duiring the 196869 NBA season, Russell was shocked by the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, disillusioned by the Vietnam War, and weary from his increasingly stale marriage to his wife Rose; the couple later divorced. [175][176][177] During the spring of 2015, two statues of children were added, honoring Russell's commitment to working with children. [19] Russell's father was once refused service at a gas station until the staff had taken care of all the white customers first. [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. [110] He was so tense before every game that he regularly vomited in the locker room; early in his career, it happened so frequently that his fellow Celtics were more worried when it did not happen than when it did. His father was Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana. [200][201] Russell's motto became: "If you disrespect that line, you disrespect me. Before his rookie year, he was made the captain of the U.S. national basketball team that competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics. 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. "[208] To teammates and friends, Russell was open and amicable; he was extremely distrusting and cold towards anyone else. [50] He excelled at playing man-to-man defense, blocking shots, and grabbing defensive rebounds. Bill Russell Russell made himself eligible for the 1956 NBA draft. He was convinced that the U.S. was a corrupt nation and that he was wasting his time playing something as superficial as basketball. 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. [68][109] The Celtics held on for a 108106 victory and Russell claimed his eleventh championship in thirteen years. "[122] In December 2008, the We Are Boston Leadership Award was presented to Russell. Hailed as the greatest winner in sports, Basketball Hall of Fame center Bill Russell led the Boston Celtics to an unprecedented 11 championships in 13 seasons. [110] According to Taylor, Russell discounted the fact that his career was facilitated by white people who were proven anti-racists: his high school coach George Powles, who encouraged him to play basketball, his college coach Phil Woolpert, who integrated USF basketball, Celtics coach Red Auerbach, who made him the first black NBA coach and is regarded as an anti-racist pioneer for his no color barrier, and Celtics owner Walter A. He is depicted in-game, surrounded by 11 plinths representing the 11 championships he helped the Celtics win. He had invested $250,000 in a rubber plantation in Liberia, where he had wanted to spend his retirement, but it went bankrupt. Bill Russell [67] Lakers head coach John Kundla praised Russell, stating: "We don't fear the Celtics without Bill Russell. "[218] Referring to a time when the Celtics did not frequently sell out the Boston Garden, while the generally mediocre and all-white NHL Boston Bruins did, Russell recalled: "We [the Celtics] did a survey about what we could do to improve attendance. [130] Russell also received honorary degrees from Harvard University on June 7, 2007,[131] and from Dartmouth College on June 14, 2009. [112], In 1971, Russell joined NBA on ABC to do commentary on the Game of the Week. Bill Russell: Early Life and Education. "[167] During the NBA All-Star Weekend on February 14, 2009, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the NBA Finals MVP award would be named after Russell. In its announcement, the WCC stated: "The 'Russell Rule' requires each member institution to include a member of a traditionally underrepresented community in the pool of final candidates for every athletic director, senior administrator, head coach and full-time assistant coach position in the athletic department. Bill Russell Kids & Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [6][7][8][9] Standing at 6ft 10in (2.08m) tall, with a 7ft 4in (2.24m) arm span,[10][11] his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' dominance during his career. When he attempted to leave and find a different station, the attendant stuck a shotgun in his face and threatened to kill him if he did not stay and wait his turn. [220] The FBI maintained a file on Russell and described him in their file as "an arrogant Negro who won't sign autographs for white children". He was also much respected for his ability to inspire and motivate his team members to improve their playing techniques and give their best. Celebs, sports stars and fans are mourning the loss of NBA legend, Bill Russell. 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. [108], Days later, 30,000 Celtics fans cheered their returning heroes. [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). [4][8] While at USF, he and Jones helped pioneer a play that later became known as the alley-oop. "[180], Russell was married to his college sweetheart Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973. Bill Russell, a towering figure in the NBA and in American sports history, died at 88 on Sunday, his family announced. Boston then beat the Los Angeles Lakers 42 in the 1968 NBA Finals, giving Russell his tenth title in twelve years. He led USF to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, including a string of 55 consecutive victories, and a 26-point, 27-rebound, 20-block performance in one game. The crowd gave Russell a prolonged standing ovation, which brought tears to his eyes. "[154] In the book, Russell wrote: "Whenever I leave the Celtics locker room, even Heaven wouldn't be good enough because anywhere else is a step down With Red [Auerbach] and Walter Brown, I was the freest athlete on the planet. Chamberlain outscored Russell by 81 points in the series, but the Celtics walked off with a 42 series win. [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. [185][186] He was a resident of Mercer Island, Washington, for over four decades. On the road it was not uncommon for him to have to sleep in a different hotel from the one the rest of the club used. 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. One makes himself look good at the expense of the other guys on the floor. [181] In 1977, he married Dorothy Anstett, Miss USA of 1968;[181] they divorced in 1980. National tragedy struck on April 4, day of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. With eight of the ten starting players on Sixers and Celtics being black, both teams were in deep shock and there were calls to cancel the series. [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. Bill Russell He helped the team win a Gold medal. The game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. Russell's father was once refused service at a gas station until the staff had taken care of all the white customers first. Over his 13 seasons in the league, the team played in 12 NBA finals, winning 11 of them. [108] West then hit one basket after the other and cut the lead to one, and Chamberlain asked to return to the game. In the beginning of the 1957-58 season, the Celtics won 14 straight games. His coach, George Powles, encouraged the youngster to develop his skills and become a good player. He married former Miss USA, Dorothy Anstett, a white woman, in 1977. He was one of five, along with James Naismith, Oscar Robertson, Dean Smith, and John Wooden, selected to represent the inaugural class. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed more than 50 rebounds in a game. His team won 49 games and easily made the first berth in the 1958 NBA Playoffs. 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). He was never embraced by Boston fans in the way his white teammates were. [68] On November 7, 1959, Russell's Celtics hosted Chamberlain's Warriors and pundits called the matchup between the best offensive and defensive centers "The Big Collision" and "Battle of the Titans". [33], The games were often difficult for the USF squad, as Russell and his black teammates became targets of racist jeers, particularly on the road. [86] On February 10, 1963, Russell recorded his first regular season triple-double after putting up 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 129123 win over the New York Knicks. In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that Russell was "the greatest champion in all of team sports". Frank Robinson, a future member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, was one of Russell's high school basketball teammates. He also served a three-season (19661969) stint as player-coach for the Celtics, becoming the first black coach in the NBA and the first to win a championship. Russell also ignored Heinsohn's request for an autograph on behalf of his cousin and openly said to Heinsohn that he deserved half of his $300 Rookie of the Year check. Regarded as one of the best ever players in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA), William Felton Bill Russell was a professional basketball player who was the centerpiece of the Bostons Celtics for a period of 13 years. 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. 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. [1] The Celtics broke a league record by winning 52 games and Russell's strong performance once again helped lead the Celtics through the 1959 NBA playoffs, as they returned to the NBA Finals. [5] In addition, Russell holds the NBA Finals single-game record for most rebounds (40, March 29, 1960, vs. St. Louis, and April 18, 1962, vs. Los Angeles), most rebounds in a quarter (19, April 18, 1962, vs. Los Angeles), and most consecutive games with 20 or more rebounds (15 from April 9, 1960 April 16, 1963). [5] Russell's team again beat Chamberlain's Philadelphia 76ers 41 in the Eastern Division Finals, proceeding to win the NBA Finals in a tight showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers, with Russell scoring 25 points and grabbing 32 rebounds, plus giving out an assist,[98] in a 9593 win in Game 7. It was the start of an unprecedented championship run for Russell and the Celtics. [102], In the 196768 NBA season, the 34-year-old Russell averaged 12.5 points per game and 18.6 rebounds per game,[1] the latter of which was good enough for the third-highest average in the league. [57] He also became famous for his shot-blocking skills and pundits called his blocks "Wilsonburgers", referring to the Wilson NBA basketballs he "shoved back into the faces of opposing shooters". [195][196] For his promotion to coach, the Celtics paid Russell an annual salary of $25,000 which was in addition to his salary as a player. [38] He became known for his strong defense and shot-blocking skills, once denying 13 shots in a game. William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 July 31, 2022) 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. [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. I averaged over 20 points and over 20 rebounds, and I was the only guy in college blocking shots. His third marriage was to Marilyn Nault which lasted till her death in 2009. [48], The Harlem Globetrotters invited Russell to join their exhibition basketball squad. 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. Bill Russell Children: Meet Jacob Russell, William Russell Jr [141] Russell and Bryant were spectators to a basketball game for Obama's 50th birthday at the White House tennis court. Woolpert emphasized defense and deliberate half-court play, which favored Russell's exceptional defensive skills. [187] His older brother was the noted playwright Charlie L. He was a 5 His 1956 rookie contract was worth $24,000 (equivalent to $239,207 in 2021), only fractionally smaller than the $25,000 of top earner and teammate Bob Cousy. "[5] The Sixers outpaced the Celtics when they shredded the famed Boston defense by scoring 140 points in the clinching Game 5 win. His talent did not immediately shine through. "[100][216] As a result of repeated racial bigotry, Russell refused to respond to fan acclaim or friendship from his neighbors, thinking it was insincere and hypocritical. [97], Celtics coach Red Auerbach retired before the 196667 NBA season. Asked by Russell what was wrong, his grandfather replied how proud he was of him, being coach of an organization in which blacks and whites coexisted in harmony. [110] The same fate awaited his Boston restaurant Slade's, after which he had to default on a $90,000 government loan to purchase the outlet. [70] It was the record for most rebounds in a single game until November 24, 1960, when Chamberlain grabbed 55 rebounds against Russell,[13] who led the Celtics to a 132129 win over the Philadelphia Warriors with 18 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 assists. DeJulio was unimpressed by Russell's meager scoring and "atrocious fundamentals",[29] but he sensed that the young Russell had an extraordinary instinct for the game, especially in the clutch.
Argentina Houses For Rent,
Hyacinth Macaw Eggs For Sale In Usa,
Daniel Gutierrez Motorcycle Accident,
Articles B