He had a difficult childhood and grew up in poverty. [101] During the series, Russell said: "Right now, he (Wilt) is playing like me [to win]. [50] He ranks No. [188], In 1959, Russell became the first NBA player to visit Africa. His early childhood was shaped by poor health, as the sickly Russell battled several different illnesses. NBA legend Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and the first Black head coach in the league, passed away Sunday, July 31, according to 5. Bill Russell was a once-in-a-generation activist athlete who made all around him better. [49] He was active in the Black Power movement and was among the African-American athletes and the one political leader who came together at the 1967 Cleveland Summit to support Muhammad Ali and his decision to refuse to be drafted. I averaged over 20 points and over 20 rebounds, and I was the only guy in college blocking shots. His coach, George Powles, encouraged the youngster to develop his skills and become a good player. In an interview with ESPN, Russell said he wanted the NFL players to know they were not alone.[226]. Born to William Bill Russell and his college sweetheart Rose Swisher a year into their marriage (December 9, 1956) on November 2, 1957, William Bill Felton [86] On February 10, 1963, Russell recorded his first regular season triple-double after putting up 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 129123 win over the New York Knicks. And so the Celticsall we looked for was: 'Can he play?' [122] Perennially wary of what he long perceived as a racist city, Russell decided to make amends and gave his approval. "[100][216] As a result of repeated racial bigotry, Russell refused to respond to fan acclaim or friendship from his neighbors, thinking it was insincere and hypocritical. I could always be myself with them and they were always there for me. It's all over! 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. [39][40] During his college career, Russell was the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1955, averaging 20.7 points per game and 20.3 rebounds per game. [172] Each plinth features a key word and related quote to illustrate Russell's multiple accomplishments. He had a career of firsts & led the way for many. Russell married his first wife Rose in 1956, and the couple had their first child, William Jr., the year after. '"[219] In retirement, Russell described the Boston press as corrupt and racist; in response, Boston sports journalist Larry Claflin claimed that Russell himself was the real racist. [60] With the Celtics leading 125123 with one second left, the Hawks had the ball at their own baseline. [181] In 1977, he married Dorothy Anstett, Miss USA of 1968;[181] they divorced in 1980. [5] 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 thirteen playoff campaigns. He was 88. In 2014, after the unveiling of his statue at City Hall in Boston, Russell spoke a bit about his parents and what his life was like He was one of the greatest rebounders in basketball history and had led [113] His No. After USF kept Holy Cross Crusaders star Tom Heinsohn scoreless in an entire half,[31] Sports Illustrated wrote: "If [Russell] ever learns to hit the basket, they're going to have to rewrite the rules. Russell held Chamberlain to a pair of field goals in the first three quarters of Game 3. Bill Russell Bill Russell During a conversation with students, a reporterunknown to Russellheard Russell describe Chamberlain as a malingerer and accused him of "copping out" of the game when it seemed that the Lakers would lose. Career-wise in rebounds, Russell ranks second to Chamberlain in regular season total (21,620) and average per game (22.5), and he led the NBA in average rebounds per game four times. He later recalled: "To play good defense it was told back then that you had to stay flatfooted at all times to react quickly. A morass to fight from. [30] Woolpert's choice of how to deploy his players was unaffected by their skin color. "[110] This supported the opinion of many white fans that Russell, who was by then the highest-paid Celtic, was egotistical, paranoid, and hypocritical. He lost his mother when he was just 12 years old. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Eleven-time NBA champion and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell died 'peacefully' at the age of 88, his family confirmed Sunday. With his first wife, Rose, to whom he was married for 17 years, he had three children: a daughter, Karen, and two sons, Buddha and Jacob. "[50] The next day, The Boston Globe read: "Russell's Reflexes Befuddles Visitors. Rules on Defense, Coach of Warriors Says", "The 'Coleman Play' introduced and defined Bill Russell's never-say-die leadership to Boston", "12 times NBA awards were pretty ridiculous", "Syracuse Nationals at Boston Celtics Box Score, February 5, 1960", "Boston Celtics at Philadelphia Warriors Box Score, November 24, 1960", "1960 NBA Finals Game 2: St. Louis Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, March 29, 1960", "1960 NBA Finals Game 7: St. Louis Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, April 9, 1960", "Celtics Give Sharman Championship Sendoff", "Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 16, 1962", "Boston Celtics Players to have recorded a triple-double", "1962 NBA Finals Game 7: Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics Box Score, April 18, 1962", "Cincinnati Royals vs Boston Celtics Box Score, January 31, 1963", "Kennedy Greets Celtics, but Bill Russell Sleeps", "New York Knicks at Boston Celtics Box Score, February 10, 1963", "1963 NBA Finals Game 3: Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 17, 1963", "On this day: Pandemic pause anniversary; Russell's 49 boards; Potapenko trade", "Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics Box Score, March 11, 1965", "1968 Sportsman of the Year: Bill Russell, Boston Celtics coach-player", "Bill Russell Reported Favoring Movie Career", "Celtics legend Bill Russell receives second induction into Basketball Hall of Fame, as coach this time", "Successful, short-lived coaching days get Bill Russell into Hall again", "Bill Russell, NBA great and former Sonics coach, dies at 88", "Bill Russell Leaves Lasting Impact on Kings", "Watch Saturday Night Live Episode: November 3 Bill Russell", "Culture Now Is a Great Time to Read Bill Russell's Memoir", "Best Betting Scenes: Bill Russell Goes Rogue on 'Miami Vice', "Russell Redux: A Private Man Bursts Back Into the Public Eye", "Shaq heeds Russell's call for peace; Lakers hold on for win", "Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame to induct founding class", "Sports legend Bill Russell receives an honorary degree at the 2007 Suffolk University commencement", "Honorary degrees awarded at Commencement's Morning Exercises", "Dartmouth grads hear 'nose dive' warning", "Naismith and FIBA Hall of Fame: Full list of inductees enshrined at Springfield and Madrid", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement Sports", "The Finals MVP to Receive Bill Russell MVP Award", "All-Star Top 10, from Shaq's moves to boos for Spurs", "Kobe shows maturity of last seven years in leading Lakers to title", "Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients (Photos)", "Inside the Iconic Obama Basketball Games at the White House", "25 players that won a NCAA and NBA championship", "Jordan, Jabbar, Russell and Magic won NCAA and NBA titles, but it's become a rare feat", "Quick quiz: Only four players have been", "How Bill Russell's coaching career opened doors for NBA's Black head coaches", "Bill Russell: How historic success as the league's first Black coach paved the way for others", "NBA Legend Bill Russell Became First Black Coach In Pro Sports 46 Years Ago Today", "Biggest moments for NBA's 15 Greatest Coaches", "Top 10 NBA Players With The Most Finals And Regular Season MVPs Combined", "Ranking Every NBA All-Defensive First Team in History from Worst to First", "NBA 75: Bill Russell, 1960s Athlete of the Decade (TSN Archives)", "ESPN's 'SportsCentury' Goes Back-Back-Back", "Top N. American athletes of the century", "Daily Dime: Special Edition The game's greatest giants ever", "Ranking the top 74 NBA players of all time: Nos. Bill Russells Kids Now: Where Are They Today? Update Astrological Sign: Aquarius, Death Year: 2022, Death date: July 31, 2022, Article Title: Bill Russell Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/bill-russell, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: August 11, 2022, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. [19] While there, they fell into poverty and Russell spent his childhood living in a series of public housing projects. Bill Russell | Biography, Height, Championships, & Facts The block preserved Boston's slim 103102 lead with 40-odd seconds left to play in regulation, saving the game for the Celtics. Bill Russell Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life [5] The Russell draft-day trade was later called one of the most important trades in the history of North American sports. He worked hard and used the benefits of a growth spurt to become a decent basketball player. "[66], In the 195859 NBA season, Russell averaged 16.7 points per game and 23.0 rebounds per game. He won five regular season MVP awards and was selected three times to the all-NBA First Teams. Following Chamberlain's death in October 1999, Russell returned to prominence at the turn of the millennium. He was growing older and slow and by the 1967-68 season, his figures were slowly declining. [174] The statue was unveiled on November 1, 2013, with Russell in attendance. [138] Russell attended Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals to present Bryant the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award. [106] Russell pulled himself together and put up 9.9 points and 19.3 rebounds per game;[1] the aging Celtics stumbled through the regular season. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a 12-time NBA All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career. Bill Russell died at his home in Mercer Island, Washington, on July 31, 2022. [144][157] Russell is universally seen as one of the best NBA players ever,[5] and he was declared "Greatest Player in the History of the NBA" by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America in 1980. [106] He was 15 pounds overweight, skipped mandatory NBA coach meetings, and was generally lacking energy; after a New York Knicks game, he complained of intense pain and was diagnosed with acute exhaustion. [57] In previous years, the Celtics had been a high-scoring team but lacked the defensive presence needed to close out tight games. [50] Despite this, the Celtics were leading only 9795 with 34 seconds left when Russell closed out the game with several consecutive clutch plays. [156] In 1970, The Sporting News named Russell the "Athlete of the Decade". [5][41], Besides basketball, Russell represented USF in track and field events. NBA legend Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and the first Black head coach in the league, passed away peacefully Sunday, When Russell was eight years old, his family moved to Oakland, California. "[50] That playoff series ended in a dramatic Game 7, when the Sixers were trailing 110109 five seconds before the end, but Russell turned over the ball. Eleven-time NBA champion and Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell died 'peacefully' at the age of 88, his family confirmed Sunday. Full Article. Bill Russell, byname of William Felton Russell, (born February 12, 1934, Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.), American basketball player who was the first outstanding defensive centre in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and one of the sports greatest icons. He won 11 NBA titles in the 13 seasons that he played with [60], At the start of the 195758 NBA season, the Celtics won fourteen straight games and continued to succeed. Auerbach had informed his players to not endorse candidates or causes, as it would alienate fans; Cousy campaigned for Ted Kennedy in 1962. [32] Russell became one of several big men who have brought about NCAA rule changes. [159][160] In 2007, he was voted the third best center of all-time by ESPN behind Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain. Born In: Monroe, Louisiana, United States. The already hostile atmosphere between Russell and Boston hit its apex when vandals broke into his house in Reading, Massachusetts, covered the walls with racist graffiti, damaged his trophies, and defecated in the beds. Russell was married three times. Celtics owner Walter A. [209] The close relationship ended after Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals, when Chamberlain injured his knee with six minutes left and was forced to leave the game. [28], Russell was ignored by college recruiters and received not one offer until recruiter Hal DeJulio from the University of San Francisco (USF) watched him play in a high school game. [18][170] However, the NBA players who currently wore the number 6 jersey are grandfatheredthey may keep the number until they voluntarily change it or retirebut the number will not be issued again to a new player. Chamberlain outscored Russell by 81 points in the series, but the Celtics walked off with a 42 series win. Gottlieb stated: "Our Paul Arizin went underneath for a simple backboard lay-up, and as the ball traveled down towards the basket, Russell batted it away. Throughout his career, Bill Russell won 11 NBA championship rings. Bill Russell, the greatest defensive player of all time, has a special place in the NBAs Hall of Fame. This unlikely superstar came into the NBA as a center for the Boston Celtics and played for the team for his entire 13 years of career. [108] It was so surprising that Auerbach was blindsided and made the mistake of drafting guard Jo Jo White instead of a center. While in Oakland he was very poor but became a [119] Russell also served as general manager of the SuperSonics during his coaching tenure,[120] and held the same position with the Kings during the 198889 season. Jones. [158] Russell ranked No. [163] In 2022, he was ranked No. In Game 4, the Celtics were trailing by one point with seven seconds left and the Lakers had the ball until Baylor stepped out of bounds. [141] Russell and Bryant were spectators to a basketball game for Obama's 50th birthday at the White House tennis court. (embedded photo)", "Rare Photos of Bill Russell (third photo in gallery", "Eight players who have won NCAA, NBA, and Olympic titles", "2003 draft eventually may be best in history", "Philadelphia Warriors vs Boston Celtics Box Score, January 1, 1957", "Russell of Celtics Violates N.B.A. Russell. He was married four times and had three children. [151] He also had 51 in one game, 49 in two others, and twelve straight seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. William Felton Russell was an American professional basketball player. William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. Bill Russell Children: Meet Jacob Russell, William Russell Jr [213] He was often called Felton X, presumably in the tradition of the Nation of Islam's practice of replacing a European slave name with an X and purchased land in Liberia. [116] He attended his 2021 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. Russell's 51 rebounds in a single game is the second-highest performance ever, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's all-time record of 55. In the 1960 NBA playoffs, Russell's Celtics met Chamberlain's Warriors in the Eastern Division Finals. Their marriage was short-lived as they divorced in 1980. He was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. That same year, in the NBA draft, the Boston Celtics orchestrated a deal with the St. Louis Hawks and traded for the draft rights to the young center. 101", "The NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, ranked: Where 76 basketball legends check in on our list", "NBA 75: Top 75 NBA players of all time, from MJ and LeBron to Lenny Wilkens", "President Obama Names Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients", "Bill Russell to receive NBA's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award", "Bill Russell's No. [Auerbach would] get the information from us and then make a decision based on that information and his thoughts. When he attempted to leave and find a different station, the attendant stuck a shotgun in his face and thre He replied: "Yes." [175][176][177] During the spring of 2015, two statues of children were added, honoring Russell's commitment to working with children. Bill Russell was a champion of activism before winning NBA titles I was the MVP at the Final Four. "[208] To teammates and friends, Russell was open and amicable; he was extremely distrusting and cold towards anyone else. He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. [52] During that same draft, Boston also drafted guard K. C. Jones, Russell's former USF teammate, and managed to draft three future Basketball Hall of Famers: Russell, Jones, and Heinsohn. [168] On June 15, 2017, Russell was announced as the inaugural recipient of the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award. Over 50 percent of responses said 'There's too many black players. Regarded as one of the best ever players in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA), William Felton Bill Russell was a professional basketball player who was the centerpiece of the Bostons Celtics for a period of 13 years. It was one cold day of 1934 and the month of love when Bill was born. [1] The Celtics broke a league record by winning 52 games and Russell's strong performance once again helped lead the Celtics through the 1959 NBA playoffs, as they returned to the NBA Finals. A living, smarting, hurting, smelling, greasy substance which covered you. [51] 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. Bill Russell's selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame for his coaching career was announced on May 16, 2021. He was just the second player to have ever made 51 rebounds in a single game and the first NBA player to average more than 20 rebounds per game for an entire season. After he graduated, the NCAA rules committee instituted a second new rule to counter the play of big men like Russell; basket interference was now prohibited. [68][109] The Celtics held on for a 108106 victory and Russell claimed his eleventh championship in thirteen years. [108], The Celtics were ahead by nine points with five minutes remaining; in addition, West was limping after a Game 5 thigh injury and Chamberlain had left the game with an injured leg. Celebs, sports stars and fans are mourning the loss of NBA legend, Bill Russell.
Is He Going To Break Up With Me Quiz,
Betty Kennedy Match Game,
Stocks Uplisting To Nasdaq 2021,
Articles B