When Russell was eight years old, his father moved the family out of Louisiana and settled in Oakland, California. NBA Legend Bill Russell Biography, Age, Height, Family, Wife The Celtics won the match 115-106. [25] Sports journalist John Taylor described it as a watershed event in Russell's life because he realized that basketball was his chance to escape poverty and racism, and he swore to make the best of it. [57] Russell never had to work part-time. Bill Russell [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]". [4] In his USF years, Russell took advantage of his relative lack of bulk to develop a unique defensive style: instead of purely guarding the opposing center, he used his quickness and speed to play help defense against opposing forwards and aggressively challenge their shots. [171], In 2013, Boston honored Russell by erecting a statue of him on City Hall Plaza. [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). But there's another type who makes the players around him look better than they are, and that's the type Russell was. Over his 13 seasons in the league, the team played in 12 NBA finals, winning 11 of them. 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). In the 1961 NBA playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Syracuse Nationals 41 in the Eastern Division Finals. His father gave up his trucking job and became a steelworker in order to be closer to his children. [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. Rules on Defense, Coach of Warriors Says", "The 'Coleman Play' introduced and defined Bill Russell's never-say-die leadership to Boston", "12 times NBA awards were pretty ridiculous", "Syracuse Nationals at Boston Celtics Box Score, February 5, 1960", "Boston Celtics at Philadelphia Warriors Box Score, November 24, 1960", "1960 NBA Finals Game 2: St. Louis Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, March 29, 1960", "1960 NBA Finals Game 7: St. Louis Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, April 9, 1960", "Celtics Give Sharman Championship Sendoff", "Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 16, 1962", "Boston Celtics Players to have recorded a triple-double", "1962 NBA Finals Game 7: Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics Box Score, April 18, 1962", "Cincinnati Royals vs Boston Celtics Box Score, January 31, 1963", "Kennedy Greets Celtics, but Bill Russell Sleeps", "New York Knicks at Boston Celtics Box Score, February 10, 1963", "1963 NBA Finals Game 3: Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 17, 1963", "On this day: Pandemic pause anniversary; Russell's 49 boards; Potapenko trade", "Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics Box Score, March 11, 1965", "1968 Sportsman of the Year: Bill Russell, Boston Celtics coach-player", "Bill Russell Reported Favoring Movie Career", "Celtics legend Bill Russell receives second induction into Basketball Hall of Fame, as coach this time", "Successful, short-lived coaching days get Bill Russell into Hall again", "Bill Russell, NBA great and former Sonics coach, dies at 88", "Bill Russell Leaves Lasting Impact on Kings", "Watch Saturday Night Live Episode: November 3 Bill Russell", "Culture Now Is a Great Time to Read Bill Russell's Memoir", "Best Betting Scenes: Bill Russell Goes Rogue on 'Miami Vice', "Russell Redux: A Private Man Bursts Back Into the Public Eye", "Shaq heeds Russell's call for peace; Lakers hold on for win", "Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame to induct founding class", "Sports legend Bill Russell receives an honorary degree at the 2007 Suffolk University commencement", "Honorary degrees awarded at Commencement's Morning Exercises", "Dartmouth grads hear 'nose dive' warning", "Naismith and FIBA Hall of Fame: Full list of inductees enshrined at Springfield and Madrid", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement Sports", "The Finals MVP to Receive Bill Russell MVP Award", "All-Star Top 10, from Shaq's moves to boos for Spurs", "Kobe shows maturity of last seven years in leading Lakers to title", "Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients (Photos)", "Inside the Iconic Obama Basketball Games at the White House", "25 players that won a NCAA and NBA championship", "Jordan, Jabbar, Russell and Magic won NCAA and NBA titles, but it's become a rare feat", "Quick quiz: Only four players have been", "How Bill Russell's coaching career opened doors for NBA's Black head coaches", "Bill Russell: How historic success as the league's first Black coach paved the way for others", "NBA Legend Bill Russell Became First Black Coach In Pro Sports 46 Years Ago Today", "Biggest moments for NBA's 15 Greatest Coaches", "Top 10 NBA Players With The Most Finals And Regular Season MVPs Combined", "Ranking Every NBA All-Defensive First Team in History from Worst to First", "NBA 75: Bill Russell, 1960s Athlete of the Decade (TSN Archives)", "ESPN's 'SportsCentury' Goes Back-Back-Back", "Top N. American athletes of the century", "Daily Dime: Special Edition The game's greatest giants ever", "Ranking the top 74 NBA players of all time: Nos. [108] West then hit one basket after the other and cut the lead to one, and Chamberlain asked to return to the game. WebDON'T FORGET TO; SUBSCRIBE+LIKE+COMMENTBill Russell is an American retired professional basketball player, author, NBA legend, and a philanthropist. [19], His father was said to be a "stern, hard man" who initially worked in a paper factory as a janitor, which was a typical "Negro Job"low-paid and not intellectually challenging, as sports journalist John Taylor commented. 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. [108], Days later, 30,000 Celtics fans cheered their returning heroes. 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. Athletically awkward at first, Russell struggled to find playing time on the team at McClymonds High School in Oakland. [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. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities, and he led the NBA in rebounds four times, had a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds,[12] and remains second all time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. Russell, who was sensitive to any racial prejudice, was enraged by the fact that owner Abe Saperstein would only discuss the matter with Woolpert. He later recalled: "To play good defense it was told back then that you had to stay flatfooted at all times to react quickly. [161] In 2009, Slam named him the third best player of all-time behind Jordan and Chamberlain. 1 choice has to be Bill Russell. Although the salary was touted in the press as a record for an NBA coach, it is unclear whether Russell's continued $100,001 salary as a player was included in the calculation. [184] Russell was married to Jeannine Russell at the time of his death. 18 on ESPN's "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century" list in 1999. During a press conference, Russell was asked: "As the first Negro head coach in a major league sport, can you do the job impartially without any racial prejudice in reverse?" [69] Both men awed onlookers with "nakedly awesome athleticism",[69] and while Chamberlain outscored Russell 30 to 22, the Celtics won 115106, and the match was called a "new beginning of basketball". He was 88 years old. 6 jersey across the entire league. [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. [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. "[30] The NCAA rewrote rules in response to Russell's dominant play; the lane was widened for his junior year. [30], Combining the stature and shot-blocking skills of a center with the foot speed of a guard, Russell became the centerpiece of a USF team that soon became a force in college basketball. [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. [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. [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. Russell's 51 rebounds in a single game is the second-highest performance ever, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's all-time record of 55. Russell played 48 games, averaging 14.7 points per game and a league-high 19.6 rebounds per game. When the reporter asked how, Russell responded: "Because the most important factor is respect. The block preserved Boston's slim 103102 lead with 40-odd seconds left to play in regulation, saving the game for the Celtics. Bill Russell Bill Russell . [41], In his career, Russell won five NBA MVP awards (1959, 196163, 1965),[5] which is tied with Michael Jordan for second all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's six awards, and is at No. [146] He also won two state championships in high school. He still holds the NBA record for rebounds in one half with 32 (vs. Philadelphia, November 16, 1957). Bill Russell Biography Facts, Childhood, Net Worth, Life [21] In delivering a eulogy for Chamberlain, Russell stated that he did not consider them to be rivals, but rather to have a competition, and that the pair would "be friends through eternity". Russel died on July 31, 2022. A living, smarting, hurting, smelling, greasy substance which covered you. As a freshman at McClymonds High School in Oakland,[23][24] Russell was almost cut again;[25] as he saw Russell's raw athletic potential, coach George Powles encouraged him to work on his fundamentals. "[5] The Sixers outpaced the Celtics when they shredded the famed Boston defense by scoring 140 points in the clinching Game 5 win. Prior to Game 5, no NBA team had ever come back from a 31 deficit. [5], For his achievements, Russell was named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated in 1968. Bill Russell married his college sweetheart Rose Swisher in 1956. [51] Auerbach later said that Brown offered Harrison guaranteed performances of the Ice Capades if they did not draft Russell; it is difficult to verify or disprove this, but it is clear that the Royals underrated Russell. Bill Russell 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. [72][73] In the 1960 NBA Finals, the Celtics outlasted the Hawks 43 in the series and won their third championship in four years. Russell limited Chamberlain to only two shot attempts in the second half. 5. Bills understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life. [137] He was named as a 2010 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Auerbach had informed his players to not endorse candidates or causes, as it would alienate fans; Cousy campaigned for Ted Kennedy in 1962. [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. Bill Russell [28], Russell was ignored by college recruiters and received not one offer until recruiter Hal DeJulio from the University of San Francisco (USF) watched him play in a high school game. [78], In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics met the Los Angeles Lakers of forward Elgin Baylor and guard Jerry West. Inside Bill Russell's marriage to his fourth wife as So we never, or at least I never, ever considered him as having ulterior motives for whatever he did. 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. [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. [108] The teams split the next two games and it all came down to Game 7 in Los Angeles, where Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke angered and motivated the Celtics by putting "proceedings of Lakers victory ceremony" on the game leaflets. [32] Russell became one of several big men who have brought about NCAA rule changes. [210] He was livid with Russell and saw him as a backstabber. "[166] In 2000, his longtime teammate Tom Heinsohn described both Russell's stature and his uneasy relationship with Boston more earthily, saying: "Look, all I know is the guy came to Boston and won 11 championships in 13 years, and they named a bleeping tunnel after Ted Williams. 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. Born on 12 February 1934, Bill Russells age was 88 Years Old when he passed away on 31 July 2022. Brown, who gave him a high $24,000 rookie contract, just $1,000 shy of the top-earning veteran Bob Cousy.[122]. He is depicted in-game, surrounded by 11 plinths representing the 11 championships he helped the Celtics win. [185][186] He was a resident of Mercer Island, Washington, for over four decades. 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. [104], In Game 7, 15,202 Philadelphia fans witnessed a home-team 10096 defeat, making it the first time in NBA history a team lost a series after leading 31. Nothing went on outside the borders of the court. 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. [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!" "[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. He was voted the NBA Most Valuable Player but only named to the All-NBA Second Team, something that would occur repeatedly throughout his career, as players voted for the MVP award, something that would last until the 197980 NBA season, while the media has always voted for the All-NBA teams. I could always be myself with them and they were always there for me. Auerbach agreed to trade Macauley, who had previously asked to be traded to St. Louis in order to be with his sick son, if the Hawks gave up Russell. A look at Bill Russells family life Bill was born to Katie and Charles Russell. [188], In 1959, Russell became the first NBA player to visit Africa. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}10 Things You Might Not Know About Jimmy Butler, Celebrities & Notables Running the Boston Marathon, 7 Facts About Gymnast and TikTok Star Olivia Dunne, Nat Sweetwater Cliftons First NBA Season, 8 Negro League Legends Featured in a New MLB Game, Get to Know NCAA Tournament Star Caitlin Clark. 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. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! He was 88 years old. Bill Russell, a towering figure in the NBA and in American sports history, died at 88 on Sunday, his family announced. [168] On June 15, 2017, Russell was announced as the inaugural recipient of the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award. In the 1959 NBA Finals, the Celtics recaptured the NBA title, sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers 40. Even as he won on the court, Russell, an outspoken backer of the Civil Rights Movement, experienced his struggles off of it. [20] Since Russell's previous experiences with white authority figures were often negative, warm words from Powles reassured him. Considered one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history, William Felton Russell was born on February 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana. [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. If that isn't goaltending, I want somebody to tell me what it is. [14][192] The news was announced in a Twitter post by his family. William Felton Russell was born on Feb. 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana. Bill Russell Biography, Life, Interesting Facts - Famous Birthdays [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. They were together from 1956 to 1973. 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. [163] In 2022, he was ranked No. [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. 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. Bill Russell [38] Russell led the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game for the competition. [50] He excelled at playing man-to-man defense, blocking shots, and grabbing defensive rebounds. [87] The Celtics reached the 1963 NBA Finals,[88] where they again defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, this time in six games. It wasnt long before the defensively adept Russell proved to be dominating presence, with a scorers touch and uncanny ability to rebound. After the loss, he led his grandfather through the Celtics locker rooms and the two saw the white Celtic Havlicek taking a shower next to his black teammate Sam Jones and discussing the game. In overtime, Frank Ramsey, the fourth forward, fouled out trying to guard Baylor, so Russell was robbed of his usual four-men wing rotation; he and little-used fifth forward Gene Guarilia successfully pressured Baylor into missed shots. [53], Due to his Olympic commitment, Russell could not join the Celtics for the 195657 NBA season until December. [200][201] Russell's motto became: "If you disrespect that line, you disrespect me. 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. Russell, who once said he owed the public nothing,[110] was not there; he ended his career and cut all ties to the Celtics. "[5] After the Division Finals, the Celtics had an easier time in the NBA Finals,[96] winning 41 against the Los Angeles Lakers. "[180], Russell was married to his college sweetheart Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973. NBA legend Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and the first Black head coach in the league, passed away Sunday, July 31, according to [57] Russell had a more cordial relationship with many of his teammates with the notable exception of Heinsohn, his old rival and fellow rookie. This was the first time in seven years that he failed to average at least 23 rebounds a game. He was the central focus of the Celtics dynasty, who won 11 NBA championships so over course of his 13 August 1, 2022 NBA reacts to [20], At USF, Russell became the new starting center for coach Phil Woolpert of the San Francisco Dons. Russell, who had a difficult relationship with the media, did not attend either ceremony. He scored 15.0 ppg and 24.7 rebounds per game during the 1963-64 season. [193], During his career, Russell was one of the first big earners in NBA basketball. The Bill Russell Legacy Foundation, established by the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, funded the project. Auerbach replied that Gottlieb's statements were "absolutely ridiculous" and said any controversy was "a question of sour grapes". [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. Their marriage was short-lived as they divorced in 1980. This attitude contributed to his bad rapport with fans and journalists. See the events in life of Bill Russell in Chronological Order, (One of the Greatest Basketball Players of All Time). He reasoned that if Saperstein was too smart to speak with him, then he was too smart to play for Saperstein. The game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. Heinsohn felt that Russell resented him because the former was named the 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year. [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. [5] Russell was known as one of the most clutch players in the NBA. 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. He passed away peacefully with his wife next to him. He was also much respected for his ability to inspire and motivate his team members to improve their playing techniques and give their best. When he attempted to leave and find a different station, the attendant stuck a shotgun in his face and thre He said: "The Celtics were the first [NBA basketball] team to draft a black player, period: a guy named Chuck Cooper from Duquesne. 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. [50] Despite this, the Celtics were leading only 9795 with 34 seconds left when Russell closed out the game with several consecutive clutch plays. [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.