| Bill Russell | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Position(s): Center | Jersey #(s): 6 |
| Height: 6 ft 10 in (2. The three basketball positions normally employed by organized Basketball teams are guard forward and center The center, colloquially the five, is one of the standard positions in a regulation Basketball game In team Sports the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, or uniform number is the Number 08 m) | Weight: 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Born: February 12, 1934 Monroe, Louisiana | |
| Career information | |
| Year(s): 1956–1969 | |
| NBA Draft: 1956 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 | |
| College: San Francisco | |
| Professional teams | |
| Career stats | |
| Points | 14,522 |
| Rebounds | 21,620 |
| Assists | 4,100 |
| Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Coaching | |
| Basketball Hall of Fame | |
| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Competitor for  United States | |||
| Men's Basketball | |||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Gold | 1956 Melbourne | Team Competition | |
William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12, 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana) is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Monroe is a city in and the Parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America In an organised Sports league, a season is the portion of one Year in which regulated Games of the sport are in session The 1956–57 NBA season was the 11th season of the National Basketball Association. The 1968–69 NBA season was the 23rd season of the National Basketball Association. The NBA Draft is an annual North American event in which the National Basketball Association 's (NBA thirty teams (29 in the United States and one in The 1956 NBA Draft was held in New York on April 30th The most notable player selected in this draft was perennial great Bill Russell from the University of San Francisco This is a List of Athletic Conferences of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA University of San Francisco ( USF) is a private Jesuit Roman Catholic University in San Francisco California. The Boston Celtics are an American professional Basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the The 1956–57 NBA season was the 11th season of the National Basketball Association. The 1968–69 NBA season was the 23rd season of the National Basketball Association. Points in Basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game A rebound in Basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or Free throw. In Basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each June The 1957 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1956-57 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1957 NBA Playoffs. The 1959 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1958-59 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1959 NBA Playoffs. The 1960 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1959-60 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1960 NBA Playoffs. The 1961 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1960-61 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1961 NBA Playoffs. The 1962 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1961-62 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1962 NBA Playoffs. The 1963 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1962-63 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1963 NBA Playoffs. The 1964 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1963-64 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1964 NBA Playoffs. The 1965 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1964-65 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1965 NBA Playoffs. Series Summary This was the iconic Boston Celtics ' 8th consecutive NBA Championship --no other team in any sport has won eight consecutive league titles in American The 1968 NBA Finals pitted the Boston Celtics from the East against the Los Angeles Lakers from the West for the sixth time in ten years The 1969 NBA World Championship Series to determine the champion of the 1968-69 NBA season was played between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History (also referred to as the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA's Top 50) were chosen The NBA 35th Anniversary Team was announced in 30 October 1980 to celebrated 35th Anniversary of NBA. The NBA 25th Anniversary Team was announced in 11 December 1971 to celebrate the 25-year existence of BAA / NBA. The Boston Celtics are an American professional Basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the The 1966–67 NBA Season was the 21st season of the National Basketball Association. The 1968–69 NBA season was the 23rd season of the National Basketball Association. The Seattle SuperSonics (also called the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional Basketball team based in Seattle Washington that played The 1973–74 NBA season was the 28th season of the National Basketball Association. The 1976–77 NBA season was the 31st season of the National Basketball Association. The Sacramento Kings are a professional Basketball team based in Sacramento California. The 1987–88 NBA season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball Association. The 1987–88 NBA season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball Association. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Basketball has been played consistently at the Summer Olympic Games since 1936 with demonstration events in 1904 and 1924 The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics was the fourth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Monroe is a city in and the Parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m The center, colloquially the five, is one of the standard positions in a regulation Basketball game The Boston Celtics are an American professional Basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star, the 6 ft 10 in (2. The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. 08 m) Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career. For other uses see Dynasty (disambiguation. A Sports dynasty is a team that dominates their sport or league for multiple seasons or years The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each June Along with Henri Richard of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens, Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. Joseph Henri Richard (born February 29, 1936 in Montreal, Quebec) is a former professional Ice hockey player who played centre with the The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The Montreal Canadiens (Les Canadiens de Montréal are a professional Ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association championships (1955, 1956). University of San Francisco ( USF) is a private Jesuit Roman Catholic University in San Francisco California. The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination Tournament held each spring featuring 65 College basketball teams in the He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team. Gold Medal is an Album by American band The Donnas, released in 2004 (see 2004 in music) Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics was the fourth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition The United States men's national basketball team is the representative for the United States of America in international men's Basketball.
Russell is widely considered one of the best defensive players in NBA history. In many team Sports defense or defence (see spelling differences) is the action of preventing an opponent from scoring His shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' success, and he inspired his teammates to elevate their own defensive play. In Basketball, a block (short for blocked shot) occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a shot from an offensive player Man-to-man defense is a type of defensive tactic used in Basketball, Association football and American football in which each player is assigned to Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities. A rebound in Basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or Free throw. He led the NBA in rebounds four times and tallied 21,620 total rebounds in his career. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed more than fifty rebounds in a game. Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (August 21 1936&ndashOctober 12 1999 nicknamed Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards Though never the focal point of the Celtics' offense, Russell also scored 14,522 career points and provided effective passing. In sports offense or offence (see American and British English spelling differences; pronounced with first-syllable stress also known as attack, is the
Playing in the wake of pioneers like Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Ray Felix, Russell was the first African American player to achieve superstar status in the NBA. Earl Francis Lloyd (born April 3, 1928 in Alexandria, Virginia, US) is a retired American Basketball player Charles Harrison Cooper ( September 29, 1926 - February 5, 1984) better known as Chuck Cooper, was one of three players with legitimate Raymond Darlington Felix (b December 10, 1930 in New York New York; d African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa He also served a three-season (1966–69) stint as player-coach for the Celtics, thus becoming the first African American coach in any major American professional sports league. A player-coach, in Sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both Playing and coaching duties However, Russell frequently battled with racism, resulting in a long-standing contempt of fans and journalists. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that When he retired, Russell left Boston with a bitter attitude, although in recent years his relationship with the city has improved.
Russell is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at Basketball The College Basketball Experience featuring the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame is a fan interactive facility located in Kansas City Missouri. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History (also referred to as the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA's Top 50) were chosen In 2007, he was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame. FIBA Hall of Fame honors basketball players coaches and administrators who have contributed to international competitive basketball
Contents |
Early years
Bill Russell was born to Charles and Katie Russell in Monroe, Louisiana, where his family often struggled with racism. Monroe is a city in and the Parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America [1] Once, Russell's father was refused service at a gasoline station until the staff had taken care of all the white customers. When his father attempted to leave and find a different station, the attendant stuck a shotgun in his face, threatening to kill him unless he stayed and waited his turn. [1] At another time, Russell's mother was walking outside in fancy dress when a policeman accosted her. He told her to go home and remove the dress, which he described as "white woman’s clothing". [1] Due to such incidents Russell's father moved the family out of Louisiana when Russell was eight years old and settled them in Oakland, California. Oakland (ˈoʊklənd founded in 1852 is the eighth-largest city in the U California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. [1] While there the family fell into poverty, and Russell spent his childhood living in a series of project homes. Public housing is a form of Housing tenure in which the property is owned by a Government authority which may be central or local [1]
In his early years, Russell struggled to develop his skills as a basketball player. Although Russell was a good runner and jumper and had extremely large hands,[2] he simply did not understand the game and was cut from the team in junior high school. Middle school or Junior High School serves as a "bridge" between the Elementary School and the High School As a sophomore at McClymonds High School, he was a teammate of Frank Robinson, but Russell would have been almost cut again. Tenth grade (called Grade 10 or Senior 2 in some regions also known as sophomore year in the U McClymonds High School, also known as Mack, and Mack House, was a public High school, in the West Oakland neighborhood of Oakland California Frank Robinson (born August 31, 1935 in Beaumont Texas) is a Hall of Fame former Major League Baseball player [3] However, coach George Powles saw Russell's raw athletic potential and encouraged him to work on his fundamentals. [2] Russell, who was used to racist abuse, was delighted by the warm words of his white coach. He worked hard and used the benefits of a growth spurt to become a decent basketballer, but it was not until his junior and senior years that he began to excel. Eleventh grade (called Grade 11 or Senior 3 in some regions also known as junior year in the U Twelfth grade, (also known as senior year or Senior 4 in the U [3] Russell soon became noted for his unusual style of defense. Russell later recalled, "To play good defense. . . it was told back then that you had to stay flatfooted at all times to react quickly. 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. "[4]
College career
Russell was ignored by college scouts and did not receive a single letter of interest until Hal DeJulio from the local University of San Francisco watched him in a high school game. University of San Francisco ( USF) is a private Jesuit Roman Catholic University in San Francisco California. DeJulio was not impressed by Russell's meager scoring and "atrocious fundamentals",[5] but sensed that the young center had an extraordinary instinct for the game, especially in clutch situations. [5] When DeJulio offered Russell a scholarship, the latter eagerly accepted. Russell thus became a new recruit of USF basketball coach Phil Woolpert. Phil Woolpert ( December 15, 1915 - May 7, 1987) was an American College basketball coach [3] Sports journalist John Taylor described it as a watershed in Russell's life, because he realised that basketball was his one chance to escape poverty and racism; as a consequence, Russell swore to make the best of it. [2]
At USF, Russell became the new starting center for coach Phil Woolpert. Phil Woolpert ( December 15, 1915 - May 7, 1987) was an American College basketball coach Woolpert emphasized defense and deliberate half-court play, concepts that favored defensive standout Russell. [6] Woolpert was unaffected by issues of skin color. In 1954, he became the first coach of a major college basketball squad to start three African American players: Russell, K.C. Jones and Hal Perry. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa [7] In his USF years, Russell used his relative lack of bulk to develop a unique style of defense: 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. [6] Combining the stature and shotblocking 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. After keeping Holy Cross star Tom Heinsohn scoreless in an entire half, Sports Illustrated wrote, "If [Russell] ever learns to hit the basket, they're going to have to rewrite the rules. The College of the Holy Cross is a prestigious exclusively undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester Massachusetts, Thomas William Heinsohn (born August 26 1934 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is a former professional basketball player known for his time as a player on the "[6]
However, the games were often difficult for the USF squad. Russell and his African American teammates became targets of racist jeers, both at USF and on the road. [8] In one notable incident, hotels in Oklahoma City refused to admit Russell and his black teammates while they were in town for the 1954 All-College Tournament. Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the US state of Oklahoma. In protest, the whole team decided to camp out in a closed college dorm, which was later called an important bonding experience for the group. Dormitory typically refers in the United States to residence halls which are sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for [7] Decades later, Russell explained that his experiences hardened him against abuse of all kinds. "I never permitted myself to be a victim," he said. [9][10]
On the hardwood, his experiences were far more pleasant. Russell led USF to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, including a string of 55 consecutive victories. The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination Tournament held each spring featuring 65 College basketball teams in the He became known for his strong defense and shot-blocking skills, once denying 13 shots in a game. In Basketball, a block (short for blocked shot) occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a shot from an offensive player UCLA coach John Wooden called Russell "the greatest defensive man I've ever seen". The University of California Los Angeles (generally known as UCLA) is a public research university located in Westwood Los Angeles, California, United John Robert Wooden (born October 14 1910) is a retired American Basketball coach [7] During his college career, Russell averaged 20. 7 points per game and 20. Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the Average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport over the course of a series of games a whole 3 rebounds per game. Rebound is a term used in Sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put [11] Besides basketball, Russell represented USF in track and field events. Russell competed in the 440 yard (402 m) race, which he could complete in 49. 6 seconds. [12] He also participated in the high jump; Track & Field News ranked him as the seventh-best high jumper in the world in 1956. The high jump is an Athletics (track and field event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of any devices Track & Field News is a magazine founded in 1948 by brothers Bert Nelson & Cordner Nelson, focused on the world That year, Russell won high jump titles at the Central California AAU meet, the Pacific AAU meet, and the West Coast Relays. Official NameAmateur Athletic Union of the United States Incorporated (AAU One of his highest jumps occurred at the West Coast Relays, where he achieved a mark of 6 feet 9¼ inches (2. 06 m). [13]
After his years at USF, the Harlem Globetrotters invited Russell to join their exhibition basketball squad. The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism and Comedy. An exhibition game (also known as an exhibition match or simply exhibition, or a demonstration or demo event is a sporting event Russell, who was sensitive to any racial prejudice, was enraged by the fact that owner Abe Saperstein would only discuss the matter with Russell's coach Woolpert. Abraham M Saperstein ( July 4, 1902 &ndash March 15, 1966) was the founder and coach of the Savoy Big Five, which later became the [14] During the meeting, Saperstein mainly talked to Woolpert while Globetrotters assistant coach Harry Hanna tried to entertain Russell with jokes. The USF center was livid after this snub and declined the offer: he reasoned that if Saperstein was too smart to speak with him, then he was too smart to play for Saperstein. Instead, Russell made himself eligible for the 1956 NBA Draft. The 1956 NBA Draft was held in New York on April 30th The most notable player selected in this draft was perennial great Bill Russell from the University of San Francisco [14]
1956 NBA Draft
In the 1956 NBA Draft, Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach had set his sights on Russell, thinking his defensive toughness and rebounding prowess were the missing pieces the Celtics needed. The 1956 NBA Draft was held in New York on April 30th The most notable player selected in this draft was perennial great Bill Russell from the University of San Francisco The Boston Celtics are an American professional Basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20 1917 &ndash October 28 2006 was a Basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks A rebound in Basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or Free throw. [11] In perspective, Auerbach’s thoughts were unorthodox. In that period, centers and forwards were defined by their offensive output, and their ability to play defense was secondary. The center, colloquially the five, is one of the standard positions in a regulation Basketball game The three basketball positions normally employed by organized Basketball teams are guard forward and center [15] However, Boston's chances of getting Russell seemed slim. Because the Celtics had finished second in the previous season and the worst teams had the highest draft picks, the Celtics had slipped too low in the draft order to pick Russell. In addition, Auerbach had already used his territorial pick to acquire talented forward Tom Heinsohn. Thomas William Heinsohn (born August 26 1934 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is a former professional basketball player known for his time as a player on the But Auerbach knew that the Rochester Royals, who owned the first draft pick, already had a skilled rebounder in Maurice Stokes, were looking for an outside shooting guard and were unwilling to pay Russell the $25,000 signing bonus he requested. The Sacramento Kings are a professional Basketball team based in Sacramento California. Maurice Stokes (born June 17, 1933 in Rankin Pennsylvania &ndash died April 6, 1970 in Cincinnati Ohio) was a professional [16] The St. Louis Hawks, who owned the second pick, originally drafted Russell, but were vying for Celtics center Ed Macauley, a six-time All-Star who had roots in St. Louis. The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional Basketball team based in Atlanta Georgia. Charles Edward "Ed" Macauley (born March 22 1928 in St All-star (also allstar or all star) is a term with meanings in both the worlds of Sports and Auerbach agreed to trade Macauley if they gave up Russell, and after the Celtics also agreed to give up rookie Cliff Hagan, the Hawks made the trade. Clifford Oldham Hagan (born December 9 1931, in Owensboro Kentucky) is an American former professional Basketball player During that same draft, Boston also claimed guard K. C. Jones, Russell's former USF teammate. Thus, in one night, the Celtics managed to draft three future Hall of Famers: Russell, K. C. Jones and Heinsohn. [11] The Russell draft-day trade was later called one of the most important trade in the history of North American sports. [16]
1956 Olympics
Before his NBA rookie year, Russell was the captain of the U.S. national basketball team that competed at the 1956 Olympic tournament. The United States men's national basketball team is the representative for the United States of America in international men's Basketball. Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics was the fourth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition It was a somewhat controversial affair, as Avery Brundage, head of the IOC, argued that Russell had already signed a professional contract and thus no longer an amateur, but Russell prevailed. Avery Brundage ( September 28 1887 &ndash May 8 1975) was an American athlete sports official art collector and philanthropist [16] He had the option to skip the tournament and play a full season for the Celtics, but he was determined to play in the Olympics. He later commented that he would have participated in the high jump if he had been snubbed by the basketball team. The high jump is an Athletics (track and field event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of any devices [17] Under coach Gerald Tucker, Russell helped the national team win the gold medal in Melbourne, defeating the Soviet Union 89–55 in the final game. Gold Medal is an Album by American band The Donnas, released in 2004 (see 2004 in music) Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The United States dominated the tournament, winning by an average of 53. 5 points per game. Russell led the team in scoring, averaging 14. 1 points per game for the competition. His Celtics teammate K. C. Jones joined him on the Olympic squad and contributed 10. 9 points per game. [18]
Professional career
1956–59
Russell could not join the Celtics for the 1956-57 NBA season until December, due to his Olympic commitment. The 1956–57 NBA season was the 11th season of the National Basketball Association. After rejoining the Celtics, Russell played 48 games, averaging 14. 7 points per game and a league-high 19.6 rebounds per game. This list exhibits the National Basketball Association 's top rookie single-season rebounding averages [19] During this season, the Celtics featured six future Hall-of-Famers: center Bill Russell, forwards Tom Heinsohn and Jim Loscutoff, guards Bill Sharman and Bob Cousy, and forward Frank Ramsey, who came off the bench. James Loscutoff Jr (born February 4 1930 in San Francisco California, United States) is a former professional Basketball player The three basketball positions normally employed by organized Basketball teams are guard forward and center William Walton "Bill" Sharman (born May 25 1926 in Abilene Texas) is a former professional Basketball player and coach Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy (born August 9 1928 in New York City) is a former French - American professional Basketball player Frank Vernon Ramsey Jr (born July 13, 1931 in Corydon Kentucky) is a former professional Basketball player and coach (K. C. Jones did not play for the Celtics until 1958 because of military service. )[20]
Russell's first Celtics game came on December 22, 1956 against the St. Louis Hawks, led by star forward Bob Pettit, who held several all-time scoring records. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional Basketball team based in Atlanta Georgia. Robert E Lee "Bob" Pettit (born December 12 1932 in Baton Rouge Louisiana, U [21] Auerbach assigned Russell to shut down St. Louis's main scorer, and the rookie impressed the Boston crowd with his man-to-man defense and shot blocking. [21] In previous years, the Celtics had been a high-scoring team, but lacked the defensive presence needed to close out tight games. However, with the added defensive presence of Russell, the Celtics had laid the foundation for a dynasty. The team utilized a strong defensive approach to the game, forcing opposing teams to commit many turnovers, which led to many easy fast break points. In Basketball, a turnover occurs when a player from one team gives possession to a member of another team by losing the ball [21] Russell was an elite help defender who allowed the Celtics to play the so-called "Hey, Bill" defense: whenever a Celtic requested additional defensive help, he would shout "Hey, Bill!" Russell was so quick that he could run over for a quick double team and make it back in time if the opponents tried to find the open man. [21] He also became famous for his shot blocking skills: pundits called his blocks "Wilsonburgers", referring to the Wilson NBA basketballs he "shoved back into the faces of opposing shooters". [21] This skill also allowed the other Celtics to play their men aggressively: if they were beat, they knew that Russell was guarding the basket. [21] This approach allowed the Celtics to finish with a 44–28 regular season record, the team's second-best record since beginning play in the 1946–47 season, and guaranteed a post-season appearance. The 1946–47 BAA Season was the inaugural season of the Basketball Association of America, the league that would eventually become the National Basketball Association [22]
However, Russell also received negative attention. Constantly provoked by New York Knicks center Ray Felix during a game, he complained to coach Auerbach. Raymond Darlington Felix (b December 10, 1930 in New York New York; d The latter told him to take matters into his own hands, so after the next provocation, Russell punched Felix unconscious, paid a 25-dollar fine and was no longer target of cheap fouls. [21] With his teammates, Russell had a cordial relationship, with the notable exception of fellow rookie and old rival Tom Heinsohn. Thomas William Heinsohn (born August 26 1934 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is a former professional basketball player known for his time as a player on the Heinsohn felt that Russell resented him because the former was named the 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year: many people thought that Russell was more important, but Russell also had only played half the season. The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA award given since the 1952–53 NBA season, to the He also ignored Heinsohn's plea to give his cousin an autograph, and openly said to Heinsohn that he deserved half of his 300-dollar Rookie of the Year check. The relationship between the two rookies remained reserved. [23] Despite their different ethnical background and lack of common off-court interests, his relationship with Celtics point guard and fan favorite Bob Cousy was amicable. [24]
In Game 1 of the Eastern Division Finals, the Celtics met the Syracuse Nationals, who were led by Dolph Schayes. The 1957 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1956-1957 season. The Syracuse Nationals were an American professional Basketball team that was part of the National Basketball League (NBL and National Basketball Adolph "Dolph" Schayes (known as Dolph Schayes) (born May 19 1928 in New York New York) is a retired American professional Basketball player In Russell's first NBA playoff game, he finished with 16 points and 31 rebounds, along with a reported 7 blocks. Points in Basketball are used to keep track of the score in a game A rebound in Basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or Free throw. In Basketball, a block (short for blocked shot) occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a shot from an offensive player (At the time, blocks were not yet an officially registered statistic. ) After the Celtics' 108–89 victory, Schayes quipped, “How much does that guy make a year? It would be to our advantage if we paid him off for five years to get away from us in the rest of this series. ”[15] The Celtics swept the Nationals in three games to earn the franchise's first appearance in the NBA Finals. The 1957 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1956-57 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1957 NBA Playoffs. [25]
In the NBA Finals, the Celtics met the St. Louis Hawks, who were led by star forward Bob Pettit and former Celtic Ed Macauley. Robert E Lee "Bob" Pettit (born December 12 1932 in Baton Rouge Louisiana, U The teams split the first six games, and the tension was so high that, in Game 3, Celtics coach Auerbach punched his colleague Ben Kerner and received a $300 fine. [23] In the highly competitive Game 7, Russell tried his best to slow down Pettit, but it was Heinsohn who scored 37 points and kept the Celtics alive. [23] However, Russell contributed by completing the famous “Coleman Play”. Here, Russell ran down Hawks guard Jack Coleman, who had received an outlet pass at midcourt, and blocked his shot despite the fact that Russell had been standing at his own baseline when the ball was thrown to Coleman. Jack L Coleman ( May 23 1924 &ndash December 11 1998) was an American professional Basketball player The block preserved Boston's slim 103–102 lead with 40-odd seconds left to play in regulation, saving the game for the Celtics. [15] In the second overtime, both teams were in serious foul trouble: Heinsohn had fouled out, and the Hawks were so depleted that they had only 7 players left. [23] With the Celtics leading 125–123 with one seconds left, the Hawks had the ball at their own baseline. Reserve guard 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. Alexander Murray Hannum ( July 19, 1923 — January 18, 2002) was a professional Basketball player and Hall-of-Fame coach The Celtics won, earning their first NBA Championship. [23]
In the 1957-58 NBA season, Russell averaged 16. The 1957–58 NBA Season was the 12th season of the National Basketball Association. 6 points per game and a league-record average of 22. 7 rebounds per game. [19] An interesting phenomenon began that year: Russell was voted the NBA Most Valuable Player, but, strangely, only named to the All-NBA Second Team. This would repeatedly occur throughout his career. The NBA reasoned that other centers were better all-round players than Russell, but no player was more valuable to his team. This honor however did not protect him from racism. When the NBA All-Stars toured the U. S. in the 1958 offseason, white hotel owners in segregated North Carolina denied Russell and his black teammates vacancy, causing him later to bitterly write in his memoir Go Up for Glory, "It stood out, a wall which understanding cannot penetrate. North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States You are a Negro. You are less. It covered every area. A living, smarting, hurting, smelling, greasy substance which covered you. A morass to fight from. "[24] 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. He decided that the world had given him nothing, so in return, he could give the world nothing. This attitude contributed to his legendary bad rapport with fans and journalists. [24] The Celtics won 49 games and easily made the first berth in the 1958 NBA Playoffs, and made the 1958 NBA Finals against their familiar rivals, the St. The 1958 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1957-1958 season. The 1958 NBA Finals pitted the Western Champion St Louis Hawks against the Eastern Champion Boston Celtics. Louis Hawks. [26] The teams split the first two games, but then Russell went down with a foot injury in Game 3 and was eliminated from the playoffs. The Celtics surprisingly won Game 4, but in Games 5 and 6, the Hawks won. St. Louis star Bob Pettit closed out the series with 50 points in the deciding Game 6. [26]
In the following 1958-59 NBA season, Russell continued his strong play, averaging 16. The 1958–59 NBA Season was the 13th season of the National Basketball Association. 7 points per game and 23. 0 rebounds per game. The Celtics broke a league record by winning 52 games, and Russell's strong performance once again helped lead the Celtics through the post-season, as they returned to the NBA Finals. In the 1959 NBA Finals, the Celtics recaptured the NBA title, sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers 4–0. The 1959 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1958-59 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1959 NBA Playoffs. The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history predating the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA [27] Lakers head coach John Kundla praised Russell, stating, “We don’t fear the Celtics without Bill Russell. John Albert Kundla (born July 3 1916 is a former professional and college Basketball coach Take him out and we can beat them… He’s the guy who whipped us psychologically. ”[15]
1959–66
In the 1959-60 NBA season, the NBA witnessed the debut of legendary 7 ft 1 in (2. The 1959–60 NBA season was the 14th season of the National Basketball Association. 16 m) Philadelphia Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged an unprecedented 37. The Golden State Warriors are an American professional Basketball team based in Oakland, California. Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (August 21 1936&ndashOctober 12 1999 nicknamed Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards 6 points per game in his rookie year. [28] On November 7, 1959, Russell's Celtics hosted Chamberlain's Warriors, and pundits called the matchup between the best offensive and best defensive center "The Big Collision" and "Battle of the Titans". Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [29] Both men awed onlookers with "nakedly awesome athleticism",[29] and while Chamberlain outscored Russell 30 to 22, the Celtics won 115–106, and the match was called a "new beginning of basketball". [29] The matchup between Russell and Chamberlain, the greatest defensive and offensive centers in the NBA, respectively, became one of basketball's greatest rivalries. [11] In that season, Russell's Celtics won a record 59 regular season games (including a then-record tying 17 game win streak) and met Chamberlain's Warriors in the Eastern Division Finals. This is a list of the longest regular season winning streaks in National Basketball Association history The 1960 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1959-1960 season. Chamberlain outscored Russell by 81 points in the series, but the Celtics walked off with a 4–2 series win. [30] In the 1960 Finals, the Celtics outlasted the Hawks 4–3 and won their third championship in four years. The 1960 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1959-60 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1960 NBA Playoffs. [22] Russell grabbed an NBA Finals-record 40 rebounds in Game 2, and added 22 points and 35 rebounds in the deciding Game 7, a 122–103 victory for Boston. [11][15]
In the 1960-61 NBA season, Russell averaged 16. The 1960–61 NBA season was the 15th season of the National Basketball Association. 9 points and 23. 9 rebounds per game,[19] leading his team to a regular season mark of 57–22. The Celtics earned another post-season appearance, where they defeated the Syracuse Nationals 4–1 in the Eastern Division Finals. The 1961 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1960-1961 season. The Celtics made good use of the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers had exhausted St. The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA team based in Los Angeles, California. Louis in a long seven-game Western Conference Finals, and the Celtics convincingly won in five games. [31] [32]
The following season, Russell scored a career-high 18. The 1961–62 NBA season was the 16th season of the National Basketball Association. 9 points per game, accompanied by 23. 6 rebounds per game. [19] While his rival Chamberlain had a record-breaking season of 50. 4 points per game and a 100-point game,[28] the Celtics became the first team to win 60 games in a season, and Russell was voted as the NBA's Most Valuable Player. Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, named by the National Basketball Association as one of its greatest games took place between the Philadelphia Warriors and the In the post-season, the Celtics met the Philadelphia Warriors of Chamberlain, and Russell did his best to slow down the 50-points-per-game scoring Warriors center. The Golden State Warriors are an American professional Basketball team based in Oakland, California. In Game 7, the game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics met the Los Angeles Lakers of star forward Elgin Baylor and star guard Jerry West. The 1962 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1961-62 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1962 NBA Playoffs. The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA team based in Los Angeles, California. Elgin Gay Baylor (born September 16 1934 in Washington DC) is a retired American basketball player who played Jerry Alan West (born May 28 1938 is a retired American Basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National The teams split the first six games, and Game 7 was tied one second before the end of regular time when Lakers guard Rod Hundley faked a shot and instead passed out to Frank Selvy, who missed an open eight-foot last-second shot that would have won L. Rodney Clark Hundley (born October 26, 1934 in Charleston, West Virginia) is a former professional Basketball player and television Franklin Delano "Frank" Selvy (born November 9, 1932 in Corbin Kentucky) is a former Basketball player A. the title. [33] Though the game was tied, Russell had the daunting task of defending against Baylor with little frontline help, as the latter had already fouled out the three best Celtics forwards: Loscutoff, Heinsohn and Tom Sanders. Thomas Ernest "Satch" Sanders (born November 8 1938, in New York City, New York) is a retired American college and professional In overtime, Baylor fouled out the fourth forward, Frank Ramsey, so Russell was completely robbed of his usual four-men wing rotation. Frank Ramsey could refer to Frank P Ramsey, mathematician philosopher and economist Frank Ramsey (basketball, basketball Hall of Famer But Russell and little-used fifth forward Gene Guarilia successfully pressured Baylor into missed shots. Eugene Michael Guarilia (born September 13, 1937 in Duryea Pennsylvania) is a retired American Basketball player [33][34] Russell finished with a clutch performance, scoring 30 points and tying his own NBA Finals record with 40 rebounds in a 110–107 overtime win. In US- Sports terminology " clutch " means performing well under extreme pressure [15]
The Celtics lost playmaker Bob Cousy to retirement after the 1962-63 NBA season, but they drafted John Havlicek. Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy (born August 9 1928 in New York City) is a former French - American professional Basketball player The 1962–63 NBA season was the 17th season of the National Basketball Association. John J Havlicek (born April 8 1940 in Martins Ferry Ohio) is a retired American professional Basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Once again, the Celtics were powered by Russell, who averaged 16. 8 points and 23. 6 rebounds per game, won his fourth regular-season MVP title, and earned MVP honors at the 1963 NBA All-Star Game following his 19 point, 24 rebound performance for the East. The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. [19] The Celtics reached the 1963 NBA Finals, where they again defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, this time in six games. The 1963 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1962-63 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1963 NBA Playoffs. [35]
In the following 1963-64 NBA season, the Celtics posted a league-best 58–22 record in the regular season. The 1963–64 NBA season was the 18th season of the National Basketball Association. Russell scored 15. 0 ppg and grabbed a career-high 24.7 rebounds per game, leading the NBA in rebounds for the first time since Wilt Chamberlain entered the league. This list exhibits the National Basketball Association 's top single-season rebounding averages of which the top 18 are shared by only Wilt Chamberlain and Bill [19] Boston defeated the Cincinnati Royals 4–1 to earn another NBA Finals appearance, and then won against Chamberlain's newly-relocated San Francisco Warriors 4–1. The Sacramento Kings are a professional Basketball team based in Sacramento California. The Golden State Warriors are an American professional Basketball team based in Oakland, California. [36] It was their seventh title in Russell’s eighth year, and their sixth consecutive, a streak unreached in any U. S. professional sports league. Russell later called the Celtics' defense the best of all time. [11]
Russell again excelled during the 1964-65 NBA season. The 1964–65 NBA Season was the 19th season of the National Basketball Association. The Celtics won a league-record 62 games, and Russell averaged 14. 1 points and 24. 1 rebounds per game, winning his second consecutive rebounding title and his fifth MVP award. [19] In the 1965 NBA Playoffs, the Celtics played the Eastern Division Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, who had recently traded for Wilt Chamberlain. The 1965 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1964-1965 season. The Philadelphia 76ers (also known as the Sixers for short are a professional Basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Russell held Chamberlain to a pair of field goals in the first three quarters of Game 3. In Game 5, Russell contributed 28 rebounds, 10 blocks, seven assists and six steals. In Basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" [15] However, that playoff series ended in a dramatic Game 7. Five seconds before the end, the Sixers were trailing 110–109, but Russell turned over the ball. In Basketball, a turnover occurs when a player from one team gives possession to a member of another team by losing the ball However, when the Sixers’ Hall-of-Fame guard Hal Greer inbounded, John Havlicek stole the ball, causing Celtics commentator Johnny Most to scream: “Havlicek stole the ball! It's all over! Johnny Havlicek stole the ball!”[11] After the Division Finals, the Celtics had an easier time in the NBA Finals, winning 4–1 against the Los Angeles Lakers of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. Harold Everett Greer (born June 26 1936 in Huntington West Virginia) is a former professional Basketball player In Basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally gains control of the ball from an offensive player For the American poet John Most see here. John M Most ( June 15, 1923 – January 3, 1993) was an The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA team based in Los Angeles, California. Jerry Alan West (born May 28 1938 is a retired American Basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Elgin Gay Baylor (born September 16 1934 in Washington DC) is a retired American basketball player who played [37]
In the following 1965-66 NBA season, the Celtics won their eighth consecutive title. The 1965–66 NBA Season was the 20th season of the National Basketball Association. Series Summary This was the iconic Boston Celtics ' 8th consecutive NBA Championship --no other team in any sport has won eight consecutive league titles in American This time, Russell’s team again beat Chamberlain’s Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 1, proceeding to win the NBA Finals in a tight seven-game showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers. [38] During the season, Russell contributed 12. 9 points and 22. 8 rebounds per game. This was the first time in seven years that he failed to average at least 23 rebounds a game. [19]
1966–69
Before the 1966-67 NBA season, Celtics coach Red Auerbach retired. Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (August 21 1936&ndashOctober 12 1999 nicknamed Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards The 1966–67 NBA Season was the 21st season of the National Basketball Association. Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20 1917 &ndash October 28 2006 was a Basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks Initially, Auerbach had wanted his old player Frank Ramsey as coach, but Ramsey was too occupied running his three lucrative nursing homes. [39] His second choice Bob Cousy declined, stating he did not want to coach his former teammates,[39] and the third choice Tom Heinsohn also said no, because he did not think he could handle the often surly Russell. [39] However, Heinsohn proposed Russell himself as a player-coach, and when Auerbach asked his center, he said yes. [39] Russell thus became the first African-American head coach in NBA history,[11] and 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. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa "[39] The Celtics’ championship streak ended that season at eight, however, as Wilt Chamberlain's Philadelphia 76ers won a record-breaking 68 regular season games and overcame the Celtics 4–1 in the Eastern Finals. [40] The Sixers simply outpaced the Celtics, shredding the famous Boston defense by scoring 140 points in the clinching Game 6 win. [41] Russell acknowledged his first real loss in his career (he had been injured in 1958 when the Celtics lost the NBA Finals) by visiting Chamberlain in the locker room, shaking his hand and saying, "Great". [41] However, the game still ended on a high note for Russell. After the loss, he led his grandfather through the Celtics locker rooms, and the two saw white Celtics player John Havlicek taking a shower next to his black teammate Sam Jones and discussing the game. John J Havlicek (born April 8 1940 in Martins Ferry Ohio) is a retired American professional Basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston Suddenly, Russell Sr. broke down crying. Asked by his grandson what was wrong, his grandfather replied how proud he was of him, being coach of an organisation in which blacks and whites coexisted in harmony. [41]
In Russell's second to last season, the 1967-68 NBA season, his numbers slowly declined, but at age 34, he still tallied 12. The 1967–68 NBA Season was the 22nd season of the National Basketball Association. 5 points per game and 18. 6 rebounds per game[19] (the latter good for the third highest average in the league). [42] In the Eastern Division Finals, the 76ers had the better record than the Celtics and were slightly favored. The 1967 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1966-1967 season. But then, national tragedy struck as Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. With eight of the ten starting players on Sixers and Celtics being African-American, both teams were in deep shock, and there were calls to cancel the series. [43] In a game called as "unreal" and "devoid of emotion", the Sixers lost 127-118 on April 5. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop In Game 2, Philadelphia evened the series with a 115–106 win, and in Games 3 and 4, the Sixers won, with Chamberlain suspiciously often played by Celtics backup center Wayne Embry, causing the press to speculate Russell was worn down. Wayne Richard Embry (born March 26 1937 in Springfield Ohio) is a retired American Basketball player a center/forward whose 11 year career [43] Prior to Game 5, the Celtics seemed dead: no NBA team had ever come back from a 1–3 deficit. [43] However, the Celtics rallied back, winning Game 5 122–104 and Game 6 114–106, powered by a spirited John Havlicek and helped by a terrible Sixers shooting slump. John J Havlicek (born April 8 1940 in Martins Ferry Ohio) is a retired American professional Basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston [43] In Game 7, 15,202 stunned Philadelphia fans witnessed a historic 100-96 defeat, making it the first time in NBA history a team lost a series after leading 3–1. Russell limited Chamberlain to only two shot attempts in the second half. [15] Despite this, the Celtics were leading only 97-95 with 34 seconds left when Russell closed out the game with several consecutive clutch plays. He made a free throw, blocked a shot by Sixers player Chet Walker, grabbed a rebound off a miss by Sixers player Hal Greer, and finally passed the ball to teammate Sam Jones, who scored to clinch a 100–96 win. Chester "Chet" Walker (born February 22 1940, Benton Harbor Michigan) is a former pro Basketball player Harold Everett Greer (born June 26 1936 in Huntington West Virginia) is a former professional Basketball player Boston then beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4–2 in the NBA Finals, giving Russell his tenth title in 12 years. The 1968 NBA Finals pitted the Boston Celtics from the East against the Los Angeles Lakers from the West for the sixth time in ten years [11] For his efforts Russell was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the " After losing for the fifth straight time against Russell and his Celtics, Hall-of-Fame Lakers guard Jerry West stated, “If I had a choice of any basketball player in the league, my No. Jerry Alan West (born May 28 1938 is a retired American Basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National 1 choice has to be Bill Russell. Bill Russell never ceases to amaze me. ”[15]
However, in the 1968-69 NBA season, Russell seemed to reach a breaking point. The 1968–69 NBA season was the 23rd season of the National Basketball Association. Shocked by the murder of Robert Kennedy, disillusioned by the Vietnam War, and weary from his increasingly stale (and later divorced) marriage to his wife Rose, he was convinced that the U. Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy (November 20 1925 – June 6 1968 also called RFK, was the United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964 and a The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia S. was a corrupt nation and that he was wasting his time playing something superficial as basketball. [44] 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. [44] Russell pulled himself together and put up 9. 9 points per game and 19. 3 rebounds per game,[19] but the aging Celtics stumbled through the regular season. Their 48–34 record was the team's worst since 1955–56, and they entered the playoffs as only the fourth-seeded team in the East. The 1955–56 NBA season was the 10th season of the National Basketball Association. The 1969 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association 's 1968-1969 season. [45] In the playoffs, however, Russell and his Celtics achieved upsets over the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks to earn a meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The 1969 NBA World Championship Series to determine the champion of the 1968-69 NBA season was played between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, L. A. now featured new recruit Wilt Chamberlain next to perennial stars Baylor and West, and were heavily favored. In the first two games, Russell ordered not to double-team West, who used the freedom to score 53 and 41 points in the Game 1 and 2 Laker wins. [46] Russell then ordered to double-team West, and Boston won Game 3. In Game 4, the Celtics were trailing by one point with seven seconds left and the Lakers having the ball, but then Baylor stepped out of bounds, and in the last play, Sam Jones used a triple screen by Bailey Howell, Larry Siegfried and John Havlicek and hit a buzzer beater which equalized the series. See also List of college men's basketball players with 2000 points and 1000 rebounds Bailey E Larry Siegfried (born May 22 1939, in Shelby Ohio) is a retired American National Basketball Association player John J Havlicek (born April 8 1940 in Martins Ferry Ohio) is a retired American professional Basketball player who competed for 16 seasons with the Boston is a Manga series by Takehiko Inoue. The series debuted on the web and was later published in print format by Shueisha, being serialized in its [46] The teams split the next two games, so it all came down to Game 7 in L. A. , where Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke angered and motivated the Celtics by putting "proceedings of Lakers victory ceremony" on the game leaflets. Jack Kent Cooke ( October 25, 1912 – April 6, 1997) was a Canadian - American entrepreneur who became one of the most widely-known Russell used a copy as extra motivation and told his team to play a running game, because in that case, not the better, but the more determined team was going to win. [46]
The Celtics were ahead by nine points with five minutes remaining; in addition, West was heavily limping after a Game 5 thigh injury and Chamberlain had left the game with an injured leg. [46] West then hit one basket after the other and cut the lead to one, and Chamberlain asked to return to the game. However, Lakers coach Bill van Breda Kolff kept Chamberlain on the bench until the end of the game, saying later that he wanted to stay with the lineup responsible for the comeback. [28][47] The Celtics held on for a 108–106 victory, and Russell claimed his eleventh championship in 13 years. At age 35, Russell contributed 21 rebounds in his last NBA game. [15] After the game, Russell went over to the distraught Jerry West (who had scored 42 points and was named the only Finals MVP in history from the losing team), clasped his hand and tried to soothe him. [46] Days later, 30,000 enthusiastic Celtics fans cheered their returning heroes, but Russell was not there: the man who said he owned the public nothing ended his career and cut all ties to the Celtics. [46] It came so surprising that even Red Auerbach was blindsided, and as a consequence, he made the "mistake" of drafting guard Jo Jo White instead of a center. Joseph Henry "Jo Jo" White (born November 16 1946 in St [48] Although White became a standout Celtics player, the Celtics lacked a center, went just 34–48 in the next season and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1950. [22] In Boston, both fans and journalists felt betrayed, because Russell left the Celtics without a coach and a center and sold his retirement story for $10,000 to Sports Illustrated. Russell was accused of selling out the future of the franchise for a month of his salary. [48]
Post-player career
Russell had his No. 6 jersey retired by the Celtics in 1972, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in downtown Springfield Massachusetts, honors players who have shown exceptional skill at Basketball Russell, who had a difficult relationship with the media, was not present at either event. [49] After retiring as a player, Russell had stints as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics (1973 to 1977) and Sacramento Kings (1987 to 1988). The Seattle SuperSonics (also called the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional Basketball team based in Seattle Washington that played The Sacramento Kings are a professional Basketball team based in Sacramento California. His time as a coach was lackluster; although he led the struggling SuperSonics into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Russell’s defensive, team-oriented Celtics mindset did not mesh well with the team. Ironically, coach Lenny Wilkens would later use a similar concept to help the SuperSonics win the title in 1979. Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens (born October 28 1937 in Brooklyn, New York U The 1979 NBA World Championship Series at the conclusion of the 1978-79 season were won by the Seattle SuperSonics defeating the Washington Bullets 4 games Russell’s stint with the Kings was considerably worse, his last assignment ending when the Kings went 17-41 to begin the 1987–88 season. The 1987–88 NBA season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball Association.
In addition, Russell ran into financial trouble. He had invested $250,000 into a rubber plantation in Liberia, where he had wanted to spend his retirement, but it went bankrupt. Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire The same fate awaited his Boston restaurant called "Slade's", after which he had to default on a $90,000 government loan to purchase the outlet, and the IRS discovered that Russell owed $34,430 in tax money and put a lien on his house. The [50] He became a vegetarian, took up golf and worked as a color commentator, but he was uncomfortable as a broadcaster. Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes Meat (including game and slaughter by-products Fish (including Shellfish and other sea A color commentator, sometimes known as a color analyst, is a member of the Broadcasting team for a sporting event who assists the Play-by-play 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. "[11][50] Russell also wrote books, usually written as a joint project with a professional writer. These included 1979s Second Wind and 2001s Russell's Rules. After spending several years living as a recluse on Mercer Island in Seattle,[50] Russell rose to prominence again in January 2006, when he convinced Miami Heat superstar center Shaquille O'Neal to bury the hatchet with fellow NBA superstar and former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant, with whom O'Neal had a bitter public feud. Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, USA The population was 22036 at the 2000 census The Miami Heat (often referred to simply as the Heat, including in some official team publications with HEAT in all capital letters are a professional Basketball Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (born March 6 1972 frequently referred to simply as " Shaq " is an African American Professional basketball The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA team based in Los Angeles, California. Kobe Bean Bryant (born) is an American All-Star Shooting guard The " Shaq-Kobe feud " was the "bitter rivalry" between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, who played together on the National Basketball Association's [51] Later that year, on November 17, 2006, the two-time NCAA winner Russell was recognized for his impact on college basketball as a member of the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The College Basketball Experience featuring the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame is a fan interactive facility located in Kansas City Missouri. He was one of five, along with John Wooden, Oscar Robertson, Dean Smith and Dr. James Naismith, selected to represent the inaugural class. John Robert Wooden (born October 14 1910) is a retired American Basketball coach Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24 1938 in Charlotte Tennessee) nicknamed " The Big O " is a former American NBA player with Dean Edwards Smith (born February 28 1931 is a retired head coach of men’s college Basketball. James A Naismith (November 6 [52] On May 20, 2007, Russell was awarded an honorary doctorate by Suffolk University, where he served as its commencement speaker, and Russell received an honorary degree from Harvard University on June 7, 2007. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa ( Latin: 'for the sake of the honour' is an Academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding Suffolk University is a private university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, situated on Beacon Hill. Events 1099 - The First Crusade: The Siege of Jerusalem begins Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
Accomplishments and legacy
- Bill Russell was the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics' dynasty.
- — introductory line of Russell's nba. com/history summary. [11]
Russell is one of the most successful and decorated athletes in North American sports history. His awards and achievements include eleven NBA championships as a player with the Boston Celtics in 13 seasons (including two NBA championships as player/head coach), and he is credited with having raised defensive play in the NBA to a new level. NBA players with the most NBA championship rings Only championships accrued as a player are considered A player-coach, in Sports, is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both Playing and coaching duties [53] By winning the 1956 NCAA Championship with the University of San Francisco and the 1957 NBA title with the Celtics, 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). University of San Francisco ( USF) is a private Jesuit Roman Catholic University in San Francisco California. Charles Henry Bibby (born November 24, 1949 in Franklinton North Carolina) is a former professional Basketball player and current assistant William ( Billy) Stansbury Thompson (born December 1 1963 in Camden New Jersey) is a retired American professional In the interim, Russell collected an Olympic gold medal in 1956. His stint as coach of the Celtics was also of historical significance, as he became the first black head coach in major U. S. professional sports when he succeeded Red Auerbach. Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20 1917 &ndash October 28 2006 was a Basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks [54]
In his first NBA full season (1957–58), Russell became the first player in NBA history to average more than 20 rebounds per game for an entire season, a feat he accomplished 10 times in his 13 seasons. Russell's 51 rebounds in a single game is the second highest performance ever, only trailing Chamberlain's all-time record of 55. List of National Basketball Association players who have had 40 or more rebounds in a single game Russell still holds the NBA record for rebounds in one half with 32 (vs. Philadelphia, on November 16, 1957). Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Career-wise, Russell ranks second only to Wilt Chamberlain in regular season total (21,620) and average (22. Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (August 21 1936&ndashOctober 12 1999 nicknamed Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards 5) rebounds per game. Russell is the all-time playoff leader in total (4,104) and average (24. 9) rebounds per game, he grabbed 40 rebounds in three separate playoff games (twice in the NBA Finals), and he never failed to average at least 20 rebounds per game in any of his 13 post-season campaigns. Russell also had seven regular season games with 40 or more rebounds. Russell also holds the career playoff record for most rebounds (4,104, 24. 9 rpg) in 165 games, the NBA Finals record for highest rebound per game average (29. 5 rpg, 1959) and by a rookie (22. 9 rpg, 1957). In addition, Russell also holds the NBA Finals single-game record for most rebounds (40, March 29, 1960 vs. The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association and the conclusion of the sport's postseason each June Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. St. Louis and April 18, 1962 vs. The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional Basketball team based in Atlanta Georgia. Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Los Angeles), most rebounds in a quarter (19, April 18, 1962 vs. Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Los Angeles), and most consecutive games with 20 or more rebounds (15 from April 9, 1960–April 16, 1963). Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1178 BC - A Solar eclipse may have marked the return of Odysseus, legendary King of Ithaca, to his kingdom Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [55] Furthermore, Russell led the NBA in rebounds per game four times, recorded 21,620 career rebounds, and averaged 22. 5 per game for his career. [11] He also had 51 in one game, 49 in two others, and twelve straight seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. [11] Russell was known as one of the most clutch players in the NBA. In US- Sports terminology " clutch " means performing well under extreme pressure He played in 11 deciding games (10 times in Game 7s, once in a Game 5), and ended with a flawless 11-0 record. In these eleven games, Russell averaged 18 points and 29. 45 rebounds. [15]
On the hardwood, he was considered the consummate defensive center, noted for his unmatched defensive intensity, his stellar basketball IQ and his sheer will to win. An Intelligence Quotient or IQ is a score derived from one of several different Standardized tests attempting to measure Intelligence. [15] Russell excelled at playing man-to-man defense, blocking shots, and grabbing defensive and offensive rebounds. [11] He also could score with putbacks and made mid-air outlet passes to point guard Bob Cousy for easy fast break points. Robert Joseph "Bob" Cousy (born August 9 1928 in New York City) is a former French - American professional Basketball player [11] He also was known as a fine passer and pick-setter, featured a decent left-handed hook shot and finished strong on alley oops. Alley Oop is a Syndicated Comic strip, created in 1932 by American Cartoonist V [15]
However, on offense, Russell's output was limited. His NBA career personal averages show him to be an average scorer (15. 1 points career average), a poor free throw shooter (56. Main article Basketball moves In Basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted 1%), and average overall shooter from the field (44%, not exceptional for a center). In his 13 years, he averaged a relatively low 13. 4 field goals attempted (normally, top scorers average 20 and more), illustrating that he was never the focal point of the Celtics offense, instead focusing on his tremendous defense. [19]
In his career, Russell won five regular season MVP awards (1959, 1961–63, 1965) — tied with Michael Jordan for second all-time behind Kareem Abdul Jabbar's six awards. Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17 1963 is a retired American professional Basketball player and active businessman Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr; April 16 1947 is an American athlete and retired professional Basketball player widely considered He was selected three times to the All-NBA First Teams (1959, 1963, 1965) and eight Second Teams (1958, 1960–62, 1964, 1966–68), and was a twelve-time NBA All-Star (1958–1969). The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season Russell was elected to one NBA All-Defensive First Team. The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular This took place during his last season (1969), and was the first season the NBA All-Defensive Teams were selected. In 1970, The Sporting News named Russell the "Athlete of the Decade". Sporting News (previously The Sporting News, and known colloquially as TSN) is an American -based Sports Russell is universally seen as one of the best NBA players ever,[11] and was declared "Greatest Player in the History of the NBA" by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America in 1980. [11] For his achievements, Russell was named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated in 1968. Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. He also made all three NBA Anniversary Teams: the NBA 25th Anniversary All-Time Team (1970), the NBA 35th Anniversary All-Time Team (1980) and the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996). In 2003, SLAM Magazine named Russell the #4 player of all time behind Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson. SLAM Magazine is an American Basketball magazine that has been in circulation since 1994, and is published by PRIMEDIA. [56] Finally, his number 6 jersey was retired by the Celtics in 1972. [57]
Personal life
Russell is the son of Katie and Charlie Russell, whose family also included the noted playwright Charlie L. Russell, Russell's older brother. Charlie Louis Russell Jr ( March 10, 1932 &mdash is a writer best known for his play Five on the Black Hand Side, which was later made into The family was situated in West Monroe, Louisiana, which was strictly segregated. West Monroe is a city in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America Charlie Russell is described as a "stern, hard man" who was initially a janitor in a paper factory (a typical low paid, intellectually unchallenging "Negro Job", as sports journalist John Taylor commented),[2] but later became a trucker when World War II broke out. [2] More attracted to his mother Katie than to his father,[2] Russell received a major emotional blow when she suddenly died when he was 12. His father gave up his trucking job and became a steel worker to be closer to his semi-orphaned children. [2] Russell has stated that he became his childhood hero, later followed up by Minneapolis Lakers superstar George “Mr. Basketball” Mikan, whom he met when he was in high school. The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history predating the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA George Lawrence Mikan Jr (June 18 1924 &ndash June 1 2005 nicknamed Mr [17]
Russell was married to his college sweetheart Rose Swisher from 1956 – 1973, with whom he had three children, namely daughter Karen Russell, the television pundit and lawyer, and sons William Jr. Karen Russell is a Seattle attorney television pundit and political strategist and a graduate of Mercer Island High School, Georgetown University and Jacob. However, the couple grew emotionally distant and got divorced. [58] Afterwards, he married former "Miss USA" of 1968, Dorothy Anstett, in 1977 whom he also eventually divorced. Dorothy Anstett (born c 1948 is Miss USA 1968 After winning the Miss Washington USA crown Anstett from Kirkland, Washington [58]
During his career, Russell was one of the first big earners in NBA basketball. His rookie contract was worth $24,000, only fractionally smaller than the $25,000 of top earner Bob Cousy. [21] In contrast to other Celtics, who had to work in the offseason to maintain their standard of living (Tom Heinsohn sold insurances, Gene Guarilia was a professional guitar player, Bob Cousy ran a basketball camp, Red Auerbach invested in plastics and into a Chinese restaurant)[59] Russell never had to work part-time. When Wilt Chamberlain became the first NBA player to earn $100,000 in salary in 1965, Russell went to Auerbach and demanded a $100,001 salary, which he promptly got. Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain (August 21 1936&ndashOctober 12 1999 nicknamed Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, and Chairman of the Boards [60]
Personality
Russell was driven by "a neurotic need to win", as his team mate Tom Heinsohn observed. Thomas William Heinsohn (born August 26 1934 in Jersey City, New Jersey) is a former professional basketball player known for his time as a player on the [61] He was so tense before every game that he regularly threw up in the locker rooms; it happened so frequently that his fellow Celtics were more worried when it did not happen. [62] He was also known for his natural authority. When he became player-coach in 1967, Russell bluntly said to his team mates that "he intended to cut all personal ties to other players", and seamlessly made the transition from their peer to their superior. [63]
To team mates and friends, Russell was open and amicable, but was extremely distrusting and cold towards anyone else. [61] Journalists were often treated to the "Russell Glower", described as an "icily contemptuous stare accompanied by a long silence". [61] Russell was also notorious for his refusal to give autographs and to acknowledge the Celtics fans, so far that he was called "the most selfish, surly and uncooperative athlete" by a pundit. [61]
Russell-Chamberlain rivalry
For most of his career, Russell was close friends with his perennial opponent Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain often invited Russell over to Thanksgiving, and at Russell's place, conversation mostly concerned Russell's electric trains. [64] However, the relationship deteriorated into intense loathing after Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals, where Chamberlain took himself out of a close game with six minutes left and never got back in. The 1969 NBA World Championship Series to determine the champion of the 1968-69 NBA season was played between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, Russell accused Chamberlain being a malingerer and of "copping out" of the game when it seemed that the Lakers would lose;[65] in retaliation, Chamberlain (whose knee was so bad that he could not play the entire offseason and ruptured it in the next season) was livid at Russell and saw him as a backstabber. Malingering is a medical and psychological term that refers to an individual fabricating or exaggerating the symptoms of mental or physical disorders [65] The two men did not talk to each other for over 30 years, until Russell attempted to patch things up. Although he never uttered a genuine apology, the two at least talked to each other again until Chamberlain passed away in 1999. [66] At the eulogy, Russell stated that never considered Chamberlain his rival and disliked the term, instead pointing out that they rarely talked about basketball. When Chamberlain died in 1999, Chamberlain’s nephew stated that Russell was the second person he was ordered to break the news to. [17]
Racist abuse, controversy and reconciliation
Russell's life was marked with an uphill battle against racism and questionable actions in the wake of this hardship. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that As a child, the young Russell witnessed how his parents were victims of racist abuse, and eventually moved into housing projects to escape the daily torrent of bigotry. [1] When he later became a standout amateur basketball player at USF, Russell recalled how he and his few fellow African-American colleagues were jeered at by white students. [8] Even after he became a star on the Boston Celtics, Russell was the victim of racial abuse. Before the 1961–62 season, he refused to play in an exhibition game in Lexington, Kentucky when he and his black teammates were refused service at a local restaurant. Lexington (officially Lexington-Fayette Urban County is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 68th largest in the United States. [49]
As a consequence, Russell was extremely sensitive to all racial prejudice: according to Taylor, he often imagined insults even if none was existent. [14] He was active in the Black Power movement and supported Muhammad Ali's decision to refuse to be drafted. Black Power is a racially based Political slogan and a name for various associated ideologies [67] He was often called "Felton X" and even purchased land in Liberia: he invested $250,000 into a rubber plantation and planned to spend his retirement there, but it went bankrupt. [61] Russell's thinking became increasingly militant, so far that he was quoted in a 1963 Sports Illustrated interview with the words: "I dislike most white people because they are people. . . I like most blacks because I am black", expressing that "human" was a negative trait and "black" was a positive trait which were mutually exclusive. [61] However, when his white Celtics team mate Frank Ramsey asked whether he hated him, Russell claimed to be misquoted, but few believed it. Frank Ramsey could refer to Frank P Ramsey, mathematician philosopher and economist Frank Ramsey (basketball, basketball Hall of Famer [61] Also, Taylor remarks that Russell overlooked that his career was only made possible by the white people who were proven anti-racists, namely his white high school coach George Powles (the person who encouraged him to play basketball), his white college coach Phil Woolpert (who integrated USF basketball), white Celtics coach Red Auerbach (who is universally regarded as an anti-racist pioneer and made him the first black NBA coach), and white Celtics owner Walter A. Brown who gave him a high $24,000 rookie contract, just $1,000 shy of the top earning veteran Bob Cousy. Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach (September 20 1917 &ndash October 28 2006 was a Basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks Walter A Brown ( February 10, 1905 – September 7, 1964) was the original owner of the Boston Celtics [50]
In addition, he alienated the Boston Celtics fans with the words: "You owe the public the same it owes you, nothing! I refuse to smile and be nice to the kiddies". [61] This cemented the general opinion that Russell (who was the highest paid Celtic) was egotistical, paranoid and hypocritical, and even the FBI described Russell in his file as "an arrogant Negro who won't sign autographs for white children". [61] The already hostile atmosphere between Russell and Boston hit its nadir a few weeks later, when vandals broke into his house, covering the walls with racist graffiti, damaged his trophies and defecated into the beds. [61] In response, Russell described Boston as a "flea market of racism". List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that [68] After his retirement, he viciously described the Boston press as corrupt, anti-black and racist, so far that Boston sports journalists Larry Claflin commented that Russell himself was the real racist. [69]
Russell, who invariably saw himself as a victim of the media, was neither present in person when his Number 6 jersey was retired in 1972, nor when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975, shunning the limelight both times. The hostile media effect, sometimes called the hostile media phenomenon, refers to the finding that people with strong biases toward an issue (partisans perceive media [49] His oft-proclaimed disdain for fans or the establishment stop him from accepting a $250,000 contract to sign 5,000 pieces of memorabilia. [70]
Despite the bitterness that Russell felt toward Boston, in recent years he has visited the city on a regular basis, something he never did in the years immediately after his retirement. [71] Russell still has sore feelings towards the city, but there has been something of a reconciliation in recent years. [71] When Russell originally retired, he demanded that his jersey be retired in an empty Boston Garden. [72] In 1999, the Celtics left Boston Garden and entered the FleetCenter, and as the main festive act, the Boston organisation wanted to re-retire Russell's number-6 jersey in front of a sellout audience. The Boston Garden was a famous Arena built in 1928 in Boston Massachusetts. TD Banknorth Garden is a sports Arena in Boston Massachusetts. [50] Perennially wary of the "racist" city of Boston, Russell decided to bury the hatchet and gave his approval. On May 6, 1999 the Celtics re-retired Russell's jersey in a ceremony attended by Russell's on-court rival Chamberlain, along with Celtics legend Larry Bird and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Larry Joe Bird (born December 7 1956 is a retired American NBA Basketball player widely considered as one of the best players of all time and one of the top The crowd gave Russell a prolonged standing ovation, which brought tears to his eyes. [72] Russell was visibly shaken at this outpour of adoration, thanked Chamberlain for taking him to the limit and "making me a better player" and the crowd for "allowing him to be a part of their lives. "[50]
Books
- Russell, Bill; Branch, Taylor (1979). Second Wind. Ballantine Books. ISBN-13: 978-0394503851.
- Russell, Bill; Faulkner, David (2001). Russell Rules. New American Library. ISBN 0-525-94598-9.
Further reading
- Heisler, Mark (2003). Giants: The 25 Greatest Centers of All Time. Chicago: Triumph Books. ISBN 1-57243-577-1.
- Pluto, Terry (1992). Tall Tales: The Glory Years of the NBA in the Words of the Men Who Played, Coached, and Built Pro Basketball. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-74279-5.
- Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
References
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- ^ Wir sind stolz auf Dirk, Sven Simon, FIVE magazine, issue 43, 12/2007, p. 69
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- ^ a b c Schneider, Bernie (2006). 1953–56 NCAA Championship Seasons: The Bill Russell Years. University of San Francisco. Retrieved on 2006-12-01. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican
- ^ a b Matthews, Chris (2000-04-28). 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Bill Russell and American racism. Jewish World Review. Retrieved on 2007-02-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
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- ^ 1969 NBA Playoffs. basketball-reference. com. Retrieved on 2006-12-04. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. "December 4th" redirects here For the song by Jay-Z, see December 4th (song.
- ^ a b c d e f Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 336-353. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
- ^ Sachare, Alex. Added Incentive. nba. com. Retrieved on 2007-12-06. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev
- ^ a b Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 358-359. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
- ^ a b c Flatter, Ron. Russell was a proud, fierce warrior. espn. go. com. Retrieved on 2006-12-01. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican
- ^ a b c d e f Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 359-366. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
- ^ Shaq heeds Russell’s call for peace; Lakers hold on for win. espn. go. com. Retrieved on 2006-12-03. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French
- ^ Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame to induct founding class. nabc. cstv. com. Retrieved on 2006-12-02. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1409 - The University of Leipzig opens 1755 - The second Eddystone Lighthouse is destroyed by fire
- ^ Bill Russell. hoophall. com. Retrieved on 2007-04-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans.
- ^ Bill Russell. infoplease.com. Pearson plc () is a London -based media conglomerate. It is the largest book Publisher in the UK, India, Australia Retrieved on 2007-04-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans.
- ^ NBA Finals records. usatoday. com. Retrieved on 2007-04-29. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans.
- ^ Wolfley, Bob. "NBA's top 75 has Milwaukee flavor", Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2003-03-11. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning Broadsheet printed in Milwaukee Wisconsin, USA Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Retrieved on 2008-03-30. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
- ^ Retired Numbers. nba. com/celtics. Retrieved on 2007-04-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title
- ^ a b Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 359-362. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
- ^ Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 174. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8. ,
- ^ Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 258. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 193-197. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
- ^ Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 6. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
- ^ Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 280. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
- ^ Wilt: Larger Than Life, Robert Cherry, Triumph Books (Chicago, 2004), 360-361.
- ^ a b Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 356-357. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
- ^ Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 367-371. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
- ^ Athletes support Muhammad Ali!. aaregistry. com. Retrieved on 2008-05-24. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned
- ^ Zirin, Dave (2005-09-28). Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. Redeeming the Olympic Martyrs of 1968. zmag. org. Retrieved on 2008-05-23. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne
- ^ Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 361. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
- ^ Taylor, John (2005). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball. New York City: Random House, 364. ISBN 1-4000-6114-8.
- ^ a b Macquarrie, Brian. "Bitterness subsides", The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2000-11-19. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Retrieved on 2007-02-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
- ^ a b Sandomir, Richard. "Russell Redux: A Private Man Bursts Back Into the Public Eye", The New York Times, 2000-06-16. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Retrieved on 2007-02-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 474 - Zeno crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire.
External links
- Bill Russell career stats
- NBA.com: Bill Russell
- Bill Russell: Hall of Fame
- FIBA Hall of Fame on Russell
- USFDons.com: Bill Russell years
- NBA.com about Russell
- Online excerpt of Russell's book "11 Lessons"
- Bill Russell: Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Russell, Bill |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Russell, William Felton (birth name) |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Hall of Fame American basketball player. |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 12, 1934 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Monroe, Louisiana |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
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