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Schayes, who had become the 76ers coach, said: "The Celtics can thank the Good Lord for Bill Russell. In an interview with ESPN, Russell said he wanted the NFL players to know they were not alone.[226]. Suddenly, his grandfather broke down crying. Bill Russell Constantly provoked by New York Knicks center Ray Felix during a game, he complained to coach Auerbach, who told him to take matters into his own hands. . The Celtic coach Red Auerbach retired before the 1966-67 season. In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that Russell was "the greatest champion in all of team sports". 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. [105] He is one of four players (along with Cousy, George Mikan, and Bob Pettit) to have made all four NBA anniversary teams: the NBA 25th Anniversary Team (1970), the NBA 35th Anniversary Team (1980), the NBA 50th Anniversary Team (1996),[5] and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team (2021). Over his 13 seasons in the league, the team played in 12 NBA finals, winning 11 of 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. Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory. "[199] In 2009, Russell wrote his paternal grandfather's motto, passed down to his father and then to him: "A man has to draw a line inside himself that he won't allow any man to cross." So we never, or at least I never, ever considered him as having ulterior motives for whatever he did. When Russell was 10, his father, Charlie, fed up with trying to navigate a racially charged South, moved his family across the country to Oakland, California, where he found work at a shipyard. [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. "[50], The Celtics swept the Nationals in three games to earn the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance in the 1957 NBA Finals,[63] where they met the St. Louis Hawks, led by Pettit and former Celtic Ed Macauley. [121] In addition, Russell ran into financial trouble. Bill Russell was a champion of activism before winning NBA titles I refuse to smile and be nice to the kiddies. [94], In the 1965 NBA playoffs, the Celtics played the Eastern Division Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that had traded for Chamberlain. [158] Russell ranked No. When the Sixers' Hall-of-Fame guard Hal Greer inbounded, Havlicek stole the ball, causing Celtics commentator Johnny Most to scream: "Havlicek stole the ball! In Game 4, the Celtics were trailing by one point with seven seconds left and the Lakers had the ball until Baylor stepped out of bounds. [81][82] Russell finished with a clutch performance, scoring 30 points, along with 4 assists,[83] and tying his own NBA Finals record with 40 rebounds in a 110107 overtime win. A living, smarting, hurting, smelling, greasy substance which covered you. [20] Russell was closer to his mother Katie than to his father,[20] and he received a major emotional blow when she suddenly died when he was 12 years old. He wrote these words after recounting how grandfather Jake Russell had stood up to the Ku Klux Klan and other whites who attempted to thwart his efforts to build a schoolhouse for black children; his grandfather was the first person in Russell's patrilineal line born free in North America and was himself illiterate. The couple grew emotionally distant and divorced. In the pivotal Game 7, Russell managed to hold Chamberlain to 22 points, 28 points below his season average, while scoring 19 points. BILL Russell's wife has shared a sweet picture of the couple after his passing this weekend aged 88. The Celtics won Game 4 in an upset, but the Hawks prevailed in Games 5 and 6, with Pettit scoring 50 points in the deciding Game 6. He won five regular season MVP awards and was selected three times to the all-NBA First Teams. One of his highest jumps occurred at the WCR, where he achieved a mark of .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}6feet 9+14inches (2.06m);[43] at the meet, Russell tied Charlie Dumas, who would later in the year win gold in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia for the United States and become the first person to high-jump 7 feet (2.13m). Bill Russell grins at announcement that he had been named coach of the Boston Celtics basketball team, April 18, 1966. The two men did not speak to each other for more than twenty years until Russell met with Chamberlain and personally apologized. [59], At that time, Russell received much negative publicity as a player. [188], In 1959, Russell became the first NBA player to visit Africa. [78] In the Eastern Division championships of the 1962 NBA playoffs, the Celtics met the Philadelphia Warriors led by Chamberlain, who averaged 50 points per game that season, and Russell did his best to slow him down. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. He won 11 NBA championships as a player with the Boston Celtics in 13 seasons. [50] Despite this, the Celtics were leading only 9795 with 34 seconds left when Russell closed out the game with several consecutive clutch plays. [111] Russell notified Auerbach that he was resigning to join a career in television and movies "in order to find new sources of income for the future". NBA legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell dies at 88 - CNN [8][38] His awards and achievements include eleven NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in thirteen seasons,[53] two of which were won as player-coach,[143] and he is credited with having raised defensive play in the NBA to a new level. [60] Despite their different ethnic backgrounds and lack of common off-court interests, his relationship with Cousy was amicable. 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. [5][41] His stint as coach of the Celtics was also of historical significance,[147][148] as he became the first black head coach in the NBA,[14] when he succeeded Red Auerbach. [50] After the game, Russell went over to the distraught West, who had scored 42 points and was named the only NBA Finals MVP in history from the losing team, clasped his hand and tried to soothe him. [85] President John F. Kennedy posed for a picture with Auerbach and the nine Celtics but not Russell, who overslept because he thought it was just a tour of the White House and did not know President Kennedy would be meeting them. Russell, who once said he owed the public nothing,[110] was not there; he ended his career and cut all ties to the Celtics. Even as he won on the court, Russell, an outspoken backer of the Civil Rights Movement, experienced his struggles off of it. Russell articulated these views with a measure of self-criticism, saying: "I consider this a deficiency in myselfmaybe. [57] Russell's defense was called into question by Eddie Gottlieb, coach of the Philadelphia Warriors, after the WarriorsCeltics game on January 1, 1957, in which he recorded 17 points and 25 rebounds, plus an assist. Russell limited Chamberlain to only two shot attempts in the second half. [50] He excelled at playing man-to-man defense, blocking shots, and grabbing defensive rebounds. He still holds the NBA record for rebounds in one half with 32 (vs. Philadelphia, November 16, 1957). "[27] In an autobiographical account, Russell said that while on a California High School All-Stars tour, he became obsessed with studying and memorizing other players' moves, e.g., footwork such as which foot they moved first on which play, as preparation for defending against them, which included practicing in front of a mirror at night. [133][134] In 2008, Russell received the Golden Plate Award of the Academy of Achievement. Bill Russell Net Worth [5] Russell was elected to one NBA All-Defensive First Team. He is said to have made a conscious decision to put the team first and foremost, and not worry about individual achievements. Bills understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life. Full Article. Bill Russell, byname of William Felton Russell, (born February 12, 1934, Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.), American basketball player who was the first outstanding defensive centre in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and one of the sports greatest icons. He won 11 NBA titles in the 13 seasons that he played with He was 88. [2] Russell and Henri Richard of the National Hockey League are tied for the record of the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. [38] Russell led the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game for the competition. [105] After losing for the fifth straight time against Russell and the Celtics, Hall-of-Fame Lakers guard Jerry West stated: "If I had a choice of any basketball player in the league, my No. [110] Journalists were often treated to the "Russell Glower", described as an "icily contemptuous stare accompanied by a long silence". He replied: "Yes." Russell wore his Presidential Medal of Freedom and the image was captioned: "Proud to take a knee, and to stand tall against social injustice." [184] Russell was married to Jeannine Russell at the time of his death. [172] Each plinth features a key word and related quote to illustrate Russell's multiple accomplishments. Their 4834 record was the team's worst since the 195556 NBA season and they entered the 1969 NBA playoffs as the fourth-seeded team in the East. The Celtics managed a 108-89 victory and swept the Nationals in three games. 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. Russel died on July 31, 2022. Bill Russell, one of the greatest Boston Celtics and NBA players ever, died, his family said Sunday. To coach the Celtics, he had initially wanted his old player Frank Ramsey, who was too occupied running his three lucrative nursing homes. "[36], Racism shaped his lifelong paradigm as a team player, about which Russell said: "At that time it was never acceptable that a black player was the best. [137] He was named as a 2010 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A cause of death wasnt given, nor did a family statement say where he died. You are less. Russell capped his amateur career by leading the U.S. mens basketball team to the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. [197] Russell also had a shoe designed by Bristol Manufacturing Corporation in 1966, the Bill Russell Professional Basketball Shoe. [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". Bill Russell was a once-in-a-generation activist athlete who made all around him better. Five times he was named the NBAs Most Valuable Player, and his 21,620 rebounds are second only to Chamberlains career mark. When Russell was eight years old, his family moved to Oakland, California. Russell He is depicted in-game, surrounded by 11 plinths representing the 11 championships he helped the Celtics win. 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. K. C. Jones did not play for the Celtics until 1958 because of military service. [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. Brown, who gave him a high $24,000 rookie contract, just $1,000 shy of the top-earning veteran Bob Cousy.[122]. 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. Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, who won 11 championships in 13 seasons with the team, He was born to Charles and Katie Russell. Inside Bill Russell's marriage to his fourth wife as [161] In 2009, Slam named him the third best player of all-time behind Jordan and Chamberlain. [168] On June 15, 2017, Russell was announced as the inaugural recipient of the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award. He was offered a scholarship from the University of San Francisco (USF). [110][221], Russell refused to attend the ceremony when his jersey No. 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. During his early life, Bill Russell struggled in his life as he [139][140] Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2011. In the last play, Sam Jones used a triple screen by Bailey Howell, Larry Siegfried, and Havlicek to hit a buzzer beater that equalized the series. All Rights Reserved. The family of Bill Russell announced that he passed away on Sunday at the age of 88. [153] In 2009, Russell's erstwhile Knicks opponent Bill Bradley wrote in The New York Times Book Review that Russell "was the smartest player ever to play the game [of basketball]". [56] Russell's first Celtics game came on December 22, 1956, against the St. Louis Hawks, led by star forward Bob Pettit, who would go on to hold several all-time scoring records. [5] Russell was known as one of the most clutch players in the NBA. 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. [19] While there, they fell into poverty and Russell spent his childhood living in a series of public housing projects. With his first wife, Rose, to whom he was married for 17 years, he had three children: a daughter, Karen, and two sons, Buddha and Jacob. [4] Decades later, Russell explained that his experiences hardened him against abuse of all kinds,[35] saying: "I never permitted myself to be a victim. Frank Robinson, a future member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, was one of Russell's high school basketball teammates. "[205] Russell was also known for his natural authority. "[208] Years after Taylor's book, Russell published the autobiographical account Red and Me, which chronicled his lifelong friendship with Auerbach. 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. He last led the Sacramento Kings as president of basketball operations in the late 1980s. Spouse/Ex-: Dorothy Anstett (m. 19771980), Marilyn Nault (m. 19962009), Rose Swisher (m. 19561973). Bill Russell [171], In 2013, Boston honored Russell by erecting a statue of him on City Hall Plaza. Best Known For: 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. [191] He was issued a citation and released, and the Transportation Security Administration indicated it would levy a civil penalty, which would be between $3,000 and $7,500. He had a career of firsts & led the way for many. [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. He Says He Is His Fathers Son. In addition, Auerbach had already used his NBA territorial pick to acquire talented forward Tom Heinsohn. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. [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. [21], Under head coach Gerald Tucker, Russell helped the U.S. national basketball team win the gold medal in Melbourne, defeating the Soviet Union national basketball team 8955 in the final game with an 80 undefeated run. The game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. After Bill Russell died at his home in Mercer Island, Washington, on July 31, 2022. Lakers coach Bill van Breda Kolff kept him on the bench until the end of the game, saying later that he wanted to stay with the lineup responsible for the comeback. The NBA Finals MVP Award was renamed the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award in his honour in 2009. [66] Many observers thought that Boston could have won had Russell not been injured, but Auerbach commented: "You can always look for excuses We just got beat. [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. [95] In Game 5, Russell contributed with 12 points, 28 rebounds, and 7 assists, plus 10 blocks and 6 steals; blocks and steals became officially recorded statistics in the 197374 NBA season. [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. [5], On February 5, 1960, Russell had 23 points, 51 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 124100 win over the Syracuse Nationals. They had three children: daughter Karen Russell, a television pundit and lawyer, and sons William Jr. and Jacob. That did not happen My junior year in college, I had what I thought was the one of the best college seasons ever. WebBill Russell was born in Monroe, Louisiana in 1934, to Katie and Charlie Louis Russell. "[50] The next day, The Boston Globe read: "Russell's Reflexes Befuddles Visitors. Bill Russell Family Tree : Parents, Wife, Children, Biography He was played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) In his first NBA playoff game against the Syracuse Nationals in 1957, he finished with 16 points and 31 rebounds along with 7 blocks. [18][170] However, the NBA players who currently wore the number 6 jersey are grandfatheredthey may keep the number until they voluntarily change it or retirebut the number will not be issued again to a new player. [99] His second choice was Cousy, who declined the invitation, stating that he did not want to coach his former teammates. He was the son of Katie and Charles Russell. How many kids did Bill Russell have? Exploring the lives He had invested $250,000 in a rubber plantation in Liberia, where he had wanted to spend his retirement, but it went bankrupt. [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. [138] Russell attended Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals to present Bryant the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award. 1 in NBA history for defensive win shares at 133.6, with Tim Duncan in second at 106.3. "[99], Boston's championship streak ended at eight in his first full season as head coach when Chamberlain's Philadelphia 76ers won a record-breaking 68 regular-season games and were the favorites heading into the 1967 NBA playoffs, where they beat the Celtics 41 in the Eastern Division Finals. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Bill Russell. In addition to Macauley, who was the Celtics' premier player at the time, he wanted Cliff Hagan, who had been serving in the military for three years and had not yet played for the Celtics. He said: "The Celtics were the first [NBA basketball] team to draft a black player, period: a guy named Chuck Cooper from Duquesne. My wife and Russell's laugh. [78], In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics met the Los Angeles Lakers of forward Elgin Baylor and guard Jerry West. [1] The NBA reasoned that other centers were better all-round players than Russell but no player was more valuable to his team. [103] In the Eastern Division Finals of the 1968 NBA playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers had the better record than Boston and were the favorites. I could hear anything, I could see anything, and nothing mattered. Reserve forward Alex Hannum threw a long alley-oop pass to Pettit and Pettit's tip-in rolled indecisively on the rim for several seconds before rolling out again. He passed away peacefully with his wife next to him. [132] On June 18, 2007, Russell was inducted as a member of the founding class of the FIBA Hall of Fame. And so the Celticsall we looked for was: 'Can he play?' Woolpert emphasized defense and deliberate half-court play, which favored Russell's exceptional defensive skills. Eleven-time NBA champion and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell died 'peacefully' at the age of 88, his family confirmed Sunday. [17] Shortly after his death in 2022, the NBA retired Russell's #6 jersey league-wide, making him the only player in NBA history to receive the honor. [173] The art is by Ann Hirsch of Somerville, Massachusetts, in collaboration with Pressley Associates Landscape Architects of Boston. 18 on ESPN's "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century" list in 1999. In the beginning of the 1957-58 season, the Celtics won 14 straight games. 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 In these eleven games, Russell averaged 18.3 points and 29.4 rebounds. Auerbach replied that Gottlieb's statements were "absolutely ridiculous" and said any controversy was "a question of sour grapes". He went to McClymonds High School, where he started playing basketball. I could always be myself with them and they were always there for me. Bill Russell Height, Weight, Family, Facts, Education, Biography [5][50], In the 196061 NBA season, Russell averaged 16.9 points and 23.9 rebounds per game,[1] leading his team to a regular season mark of 5722. He thrived at the USF under Coach Phil Woolpert who helped him develop his unique technique of defense. The following season the Celtics became the first team to win 60 games in a season and he was again voted as the NBAs Most Valuable Player. 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. He was one of five, along with James Naismith, Oscar Robertson, Dean Smith, and John Wooden, selected to represent the inaugural class. 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. [67] Lakers head coach John Kundla praised Russell, stating: "We don't fear the Celtics without Bill Russell. Bill Russell Children: Meet Jacob Russell, William Russell Jr He most likely would have led the league in blocked shots many times, but the NBA had not yet started keeping track of the statistic. The Celtics made good use of the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers had exhausted the St. Louis Hawks in a long seven-game Western Conference Finals,[76] and Boston won the 1961 NBA Finals in five games. It was the start of an unprecedented championship run for Russell and the Celtics. 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. [210] He was livid with Russell and saw him as a backstabber. Bill Russell [129] On May 20, 2007, Russell was awarded an honorary doctorate by Suffolk University, where he served as its commencement speaker. 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. Nothing went on outside the borders of the court. Russell held Chamberlain to a pair of field goals in the first three quarters of Game 3. [54] His former USF and future Celtics teammate K. C. Jones joined him on the Olympic squad and contributed 10.9 points per game,[55] including a RussellJones combined 29 points in the finals.

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