They were together from 1956 to 1973. He was a 5 "[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. I'm certainly going to ask Maurice Podoloff." Bill Russell [106] He was 15 pounds overweight, skipped mandatory NBA coach meetings, and was generally lacking energy; after a New York Knicks game, he complained of intense pain and was diagnosed with acute exhaustion. Eleven-time NBA champion and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell died 'peacefully' at the age of 88, his family confirmed Sunday. [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". Russel died on July 31, 2022. "[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. Bill Russell The two men did not speak to each other for more than twenty years until Russell met with Chamberlain and personally apologized. Brown contacted Rochester owner Les Harrison and received an assurance that the Royals could not afford Russell, and they would draft Sihugo Green. Johnny Havlicek stole the ball! His father gave up his trucking job and became a steelworker in order to be closer to his children. He was married four times and had three children. I could hear anything, I could see anything, and nothing mattered. [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]". Bill Russell [224] In 1995, the Celtics left the Boston Garden and entered the FleetCenter, now known as the TD Garden; as the main festive act, the Celtics wanted to re-retire Russell's jersey in front of a sellout audience. Bill Russell 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. [87] The Celtics reached the 1963 NBA Finals,[88] where they again defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, this time in six games. In Game 6, Russell recorded his first career triple-double with 19 points, 24 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Celtics won 119105. [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. In the 1959 NBA Finals, the Celtics recaptured the NBA title, sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers 40. Prior to Game 5, no NBA team had ever come back from a 31 deficit. In California, life for the Russell family proved rocky. 18 on ESPN's "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century" list in 1999. His team won 49 games and easily made the first berth in the 1958 NBA Playoffs. 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. He was one of the most successful players ever to have graced American basketball. In the 1961 NBA playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Syracuse Nationals 41 in the Eastern Division Finals. Russell, who had a difficult relationship with the media, did not attend either ceremony. He last led the Sacramento Kings as president of basketball operations in the late 1980s. Charles Russell was initially a janitor in a paper factory, and when World War II broke out, he became a truck driver. In 2010 Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the countrys highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama. The Bill Russell Legacy Foundation, established by the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, funded the project. [5] For his efforts, Russell was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. 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. "[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. [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. Both Cousy and Russell called it the greatest Celtics team of all-time. In California, life for the Russell family proved rough. The first team to start five black players was the Boston Celtics. [116], As a consequence of his endured racist abuse, Russell was extremely sensitive to all racial prejudice. I could always be myself with them and they were always there for me. When the Celtics drafted Chuck Cooper and they came into Washington, D.C., to sign his contract, Walter Brown the owner of the team walked up to him and said: 'Mr. [130] Russell also received honorary degrees from Harvard University on June 7, 2007,[131] and from Dartmouth College on June 14, 2009. Considered one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history, William Felton Russell was born on February 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana. When the NBA All-Stars toured the U.S. in the 1958 offseason, white hotel owners in segregated North Carolina denied rooms to Russell and his black teammates, causing him to later write in his 1966 memoir Go Up for Glory: "It stood out, a wall which understanding cannot penetrate. 6 jersey to be retired throughout NBA", "NBA players who currently wear No. "[5] The Sixers outpaced the Celtics when they shredded the famed Boston defense by scoring 140 points in the clinching Game 5 win. 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. Jones. WebDON'T FORGET TO; SUBSCRIBE+LIKE+COMMENTBill Russell is an American retired professional basketball player, author, NBA legend, and a philanthropist. [41] While blocked shots were not a recorded basketball statistic during Russell's career, he averaged 8.1 blocks in 135 games, as Boston writers often attempted to tally his blocks. He was offered a scholarship from the University of San Francisco (USF). [165], Of Russell, former NBA player and head coach Don Nelson said: "There are two types of superstars. [112], In 1971, Russell joined NBA on ABC to do commentary on the Game of the Week. Bill Russellwas born to Charles and Katie Russell on February 12, 2022, inWest Monroe, Louisiana. "[208] Years after Taylor's book, Russell published the autobiographical account Red and Me, which chronicled his lifelong friendship with Auerbach. [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. Their marriage was short-lived as they divorced in 1980. [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. [141] Russell and Bryant were spectators to a basketball game for Obama's 50th birthday at the White House tennis court. 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, [19] While there, they fell into poverty and Russell spent his childhood living in a series of public housing projects. Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory. The fans could do or think whatever they wanted. 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. "[5][122] On November 3, 1979, Russell hosted Saturday Night Live, in which he appeared in several sports-related sketches. [21][42] That year, Russell won high jump titles at the Central California Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) meet, the Pacific AAU meet, and the West Coast Relays (WCR). Russell capped his amateur career by leading the U.S. mens basketball team to the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. [100] Russell became the first black head coach in NBA history,[5] and he commented to journalists: "I wasn't offered the job because I am a Negro, I was offered it because Red figured I could do it. A living, smarting, hurting, smelling, greasy substance which covered you. [62] Russell scored 21 points and grabbed an NBA Finals-record 40 rebounds, plus an assist, in a Game 2 loss,[74] and he added 22 points and 35 rebounds, along with 4 assists,[75] in the deciding Game 7, a 122103 victory for Boston. [29] When DeJulio offered Russell a scholarship, he eagerly accepted. [5] Auerbach's thoughts were unorthodox, as in that period centers and forwards were defined by their offensive output, and their ability to play defense was secondary. [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. Bill Russell died at his home in Mercer Island, Washington, on July 31, 2022. [169] In October 2021, Russell was honored as one of theleague's 75 greatest players of all-time. As Chamberlain was often defended by Celtics backup center Wayne Embry, the press speculated that Russell was worn down. American basketball player and coach (19342022), 19561958: Rookie champion and early years, 19581966: Eight straight NBA championships, 19661969: Player-coach champion and final years, Racist abuse, controversy, and relationship with Boston fans. Bill Russell 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. 1 in NBA history for defensive win shares at 133.6, with Tim Duncan in second at 106.3. [5][97], In the 196566 NBA season, Russell contributed 12.9 points and 22.8 rebounds per game. [173] The art is by Ann Hirsch of Somerville, Massachusetts, in collaboration with Pressley Associates Landscape Architects of Boston. 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. That's the first thing Walter Brown said to Chuck Cooper. He still holds the NBA record for rebounds in one half with 32 (vs. Philadelphia, November 16, 1957). 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. 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. If that isn't goaltending, I want somebody to tell me what it is. "[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. He had a career of firsts & led the way for many. [137] He was named as a 2010 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Even as he won on the court, Russell, an outspoken backer of the Civil Rights Movement, experienced his struggles off of it. [20] When World War II broke out, the elder Russell became a truck driver. At age 35, Russell contributed with 6 points, 21 rebounds, and 6 assists in his last NBA game. [115] He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. [50] Bill Simmons has estimated that Russell had between 8 and 15 blocks per game in the playoffs. In an interview with ESPN, Russell said he wanted the NFL players to know they were not alone.[226]. A look at Bill Russells family life Bill was born to Katie and Charles Russell. "[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. Before his rookie year, he was made the captain of the U.S. national basketball team that competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics. Cooper, the Boston Celtics will never embarrass you.' 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. [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. "[110][208] When his white Celtics teammate Frank Ramsey asked whether he hated him, Russell stated that he had been misquoted but few believed it. [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. 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. When Russell was eight years old, his family moved to Oakland, California. [184] Russell was married to Jeannine Russell at the time of his death. [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. 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. He was selected into the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971 and the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1980, named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996,[5] one of only four players to receive all three honors, and selected into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. [53], Due to his Olympic commitment, Russell could not join the Celtics for the 195657 NBA season until December. [50], The Celtics lost Cousy to retirement after the 196263 NBA season, and they drafted John Havlicek and were powered by Russell, who averaged 16.8 points and 23.6 rebounds per game, won his fourth regular-season MVP award, and earned the NBA All-Star Game MVP honors at the 1963 NBA All-Star Game following his 19-point, 24-rebound performance for the Eastern Conference's All-Star team. I refuse to smile and be nice to the kiddies. After much debate, Auerbach agreed to give up Hagan and the Hawks made the trade. [30] Woolpert's choice of how to deploy his players was unaffected by their skin color. "[202], Russell was driven by "a neurotic need to win", as his Celtic teammate Tom Heinsohn observed. K. C. Jones did not play for the Celtics until 1958 because of military service. [172] Each plinth features a key word and related quote to illustrate Russell's multiple accomplishments. He was born and brought up in a super-rich-class Catholic "[5] After the Division Finals, the Celtics had an easier time in the NBA Finals,[96] winning 41 against the Los Angeles Lakers. The crowd gave Russell a prolonged standing ovation, which brought tears to his eyes. [21] Of Russell the college basketball player, Mikan said: "Let's face it, he's the best ever. [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. 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. [111] Although White became a standout Celtics player, Boston lacked an All-Star center, went 3448 in the 196970 NBA season, and failed to make it to the 1970 NBA playoffs, marking the first time since 1950 that they did not make the playoffs. One of the most important moments of his life was when he met with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta and took part in the pivotal March on Washington in 1963. And what we would do is[Auerbach] trusted all his playersso like when he'd make a coaching decision, he could talk: he talked to [Bob] Cousey [who is white], he talked to me [black], he talked to [Bill] Sharman [white], he talked to Sam [Jones] [black]all of us: 'What do you think?' [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. [198], In 1966, The New York Times wrote that "Russell's main characteristics are pride, intelligence, an active and appreciative sense of humor, a preoccupation with dignity, a capacity for consideration once his friendship or sympathy has been aroused, and an unwillingness to compromise whatever truths he has accepted. [188], In 1959, Russell became the first NBA player to visit Africa. [108], The Celtics were ahead by nine points with five minutes remaining; in addition, West was limping after a Game 5 thigh injury and Chamberlain had left the game with an injured leg. Bill Russell, one of the greatest Boston Celtics and NBA players ever, died, his family said Sunday. [223] When Russell originally retired, he demanded that his jersey be retired in an empty Boston Garden. Auerbach replied that Gottlieb's statements were "absolutely ridiculous" and said any controversy was "a question of sour grapes". 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 [14] In 2011, Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments on the court and in the civil rights movement. The teams split the first six games. [122], Russell became a vegetarian, took up golf, and worked as a color commentator for CBS and TBS throughout the 1970s into the mid-1980s, but he was uncomfortable as a broadcaster. "[205] Russell was also known for his natural authority. The Celtics played against the Philadelphia Warriors in November 1959. [139][140] Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2011. [13], Russell's life was marked by an uphill battle against racism and controversial actions and statements in response to racism.