[210], Chamberlain outscored Russell 30 to 14.2 and outrebounded him 28.2 to 22.9 in the regular season, and he also outscored him 25.7 to 14.9 and outrebounded him 28 to 24.7 in the playoffs. Bill Russell American baseball player and coach. Bill marched with Martin Luther King Jr. when he delivered his "I Have a Dream . [88] In Game 3, Russell had 21 points, 38 rebounds, and 6 assists. 6 jersey was retired by the Celtics on March 12, 1972,[113] Russell had worn the same number 6 at the USF and for the 1956 U.S. Olympic team. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, List of National Basketball Association annual minutes leaders, List of National Basketball Association annual rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career minutes played leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association longest winning streaks, List of National Basketball Association single-game rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association rookie single-season rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association single-season rebounding leaders, List of NBA players with most championships, List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career rebounding leaders, "Bill Russell, Henri Richard Famous Elevens Gallery", "195356 NCAA Championship Seasons: The Bill Russell Years", "Bill Russell's Trailblazing Legacy Is Secure (Even If Stats Can't Measure It)", "Bill Russell Is A Champion By Defintion [sic]", "Where does Bill Russell rank among best centers in NBA history? The fans could do or think whatever they wanted. [180] In 1996, Russell married his third wife, Marilyn Nault;[181] their marriage lasted until her death in January 2009. Suddenly, his grandfather broke down crying. Mr. Russell has a large family and a large number of friends who are proud of him for his services to society. Constantly provoked by New York Knicks center Ray Felix during a game, he complained to coach Auerbach, who told him to take matters into his own hands. Bill Russell, professional basketball's first Black superstar who reinvented the center position with the 1950s and '60s Boston Celtics, has died. His time as a non-player coach was lackluster; he led the struggling SuperSonics into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, but Russell's defensive, team-oriented Celtics mindset did not mesh well with the team, and he left in 1977 with a 162166 record. NBA Legend Bill Russell receives the 2017 NBA Lifetime Achievement Award. Bill Russell Speaks at Ceremony for New Statue, For the unveiling of the new statue in Boston City Hall Plaza, Bill Russell speaks about his career as both an athlete and activist, as well as the importance of mentoring and friendship. The Hall of Famer was 88. Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. My wife and Russell's laugh. Bill Russell, the intimidating center who rejected layups and bigotry with equal authority while leading the Boston Celtics to pro basketball's greatest dynasty, died Sunday, his family . She's also provided commentary on the high-profile cases of NBA players like Kobe Bryant and Jayson Williams. [163], Of Russell, former NBA player and head coach Don Nelson said: "There are two types of superstars. He still holds the NBA record for rebounds in one half with 32 (vs. Philadelphia, November 16, 1957). ", "Basketball Players who Caused Rule Changes by Ron Kurtus", "The Bill Russell Story: More Than A Champion", "NCAA Basketball Tourney History: Two by Four", "Stanford Trackmen Finish Fourth in Fresno Relays; Leamon King Equals Century World Record; Landy Runs Mile in 3.59.1; Russell Nears Mark", "Bill Russell attempting to clear 69 1/4. Frank Robinson, a future member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, was one of Russell's high school basketball teammates. And that's the kind of guy [Brown] was. Your login session has expired. Celtics owner Walter A. He was one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball and left behind an amazing legacy. Bill Russell with his coach, Red Auerbach, in December 1964 after scoring his 10,000th career point in a game in Boston Garden. [99] Russell became the first black head coach in NBA history,[5] and he commented to journalists: "I wasn't offered the job because I am a Negro, I was offered it because Red figured I could do it. [5] Russell was known as one of the most clutch players in the NBA. [128] Russell also received honorary degrees from Harvard University on June 7, 2007,[129] and from Dartmouth College on June 14, 2009. [20] Russell was closer to his mother Katie than to his father,[20] and he received a major emotional blow when she suddenly died when he was 12 years old. Sportskeeda's best Risk-Free bets from legal Sportsbooks. The couple grew emotionally distant and divorced. Jacob H. Russell was born on July 6, 1959 and lives in Renton, Washington with his 44-year-old wife Sara Marckx Russell. To coach the Celtics, he had initially wanted his old player Frank Ramsey, who was too occupied running his three lucrative nursing homes. He said: "The Celtics were the first [NBA basketball] team to draft a black player, period: a guy named Chuck Cooper from Duquesne. The game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. [48] 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. The first [NBA organization] to hire a black [head] coach was the Boston Celtics, and they've had at least five [black head-coaches] over the years. I knew youd encounter racism and sexism, and maybe, in some ways, thats a good thing. "[49], In the 195960 NBA season, the NBA witnessed the debut of 7ft 1in (2.16m) Philadelphia Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged a record 37.6 points per game in his rookie year. [1] The NBA reasoned that other centers were better all-round players than Russell but no player was more valuable to his team. Russell's stint with the Kings was considerably shorter, his last assignment ending when the Kings went 1741 to begin the 198788 NBA season. When he became player-coach in 1966, Russell bluntly said to his teammates that "he intended to cut all personal ties to other players" and seamlessly made the transition from their peer to their superior. We won 28 out of 29 games. I refuse to smile and be nice to the kiddies. "Bill's wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you . The couple got divorced in 1973. [49] He ranks No. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a twelve-time All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty, winning eleven NBA championships during his . The NBA legend was a victim of racism, and not even his basketball fame helped him. [52] The U.S. dominated the tournament, winning by an average of 53.5 points per game. At one point, the article reads, The girl [Dorothy] listed as one of lifes ambitions the chance to teach high school for mentally retarded children. If that isn't goaltending, I want somebody to tell me what it is. [218] The FBI maintained a file on Russell and described him in their file as "an arrogant Negro who won't sign autographs for white children". [115] He attended his 2021 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. He lived his young life with his parents in Indiana and with his grandmother (Mammy) in Lebanon, Tennessee. [85] 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. Bill Russell, who earned 11 NBA championship rings during his career, died on Sunday with his wife Jeannine by his side . In the 1959 NBA Finals, the Celtics recaptured the NBA title, sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers 40. [18][168] However, the NBA players who currently wore the number 6 jersey (i.e. 6 for most regular season MVPNBA Finals MVP awards, despite the latter being assigned only since 1969. [191], During his career, Russell was one of the first big earners in NBA basketball. "[206] To teammates and friends, Russell was open and amicable; he was extremely distrusting and cold towards anyone else. [211] 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. [153] He was selected three times to the All-NBA First Teams (1959, 1963, 1965) and eight Second Teams (1958, 196062, 1964, 196668), and was a 12-time NBA All-Star (19581969). [104] He is one of four players (along with Cousy, George Mikan, and Bob Pettit) to have made all four NBA anniversary teams: the NBA 25th Anniversary Team (1970), the NBA 35th Anniversary Team (1980), the NBA 50th Anniversary Team (1996),[5] and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team (2021). "[109][206] When his white Celtics teammate Frank Ramsey asked whether he hated him, Russell stated that he had been misquoted but few believed it. "[5][120] On November 3, 1979, Russell hosted Saturday Night Live, in which he appeared in several sports-related sketches. And I could anticipate every move that every player made. When their family uprooted to Oakland, California, they lived in the projects. 6 jersey", "Bill Russell statue to be unveiled Nov. 1", "City Hall Plaza statue honors Celtics' Bill Russell", "Basketball's Bill Russell joins the Bronze Age", "Russell Rule Diversity Hiring Commitment", "The University of San Francisco Honors the Memory of Marilyn Nault Russell", "Bill Russell: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know", "Bill Russell, legendary Celtics center and NBA coach, dead at 88", "Indomitable Russell Values One Accolade Above the Rest", "Police: NBA legend Bill Russell arrested with gun at airport", "Bill Russell, Basketball Great With Record 11 NBA Titles, Dies At 88", "Celtics legend, 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell dies at 88", "What NBA salaries would these superstar players make today? He retired in 1969 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame six years later. [Auerbach would] get the information from us and then make a decision based on that information and his thoughts. NBA legend Bill Russell passed away at the age of 88. His 1956 rookie contract was worth $24,000 (equivalent to $239,207 in 2021), only fractionally smaller than the $25,000 of top earner and teammate Bob Cousy. . [13], Russell played in the wake of black pioneers Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Sweetwater Clifton, and he was the first black player to achieve superstar status in the NBA. With a flair for defense never before seen on a basketball court, allied with an uncanny ability to excel under pressure and an indomitable will to win, Russell dominated the game of basketball from his earliest days as a student . [182] Russell was married to Jeannine Russell at the time of his death. Boston Celtics fans say Bill Russell was so much more than a basketball star. [49] Boston's chances of getting Russell seemed slim because they had finished second in the previous season and the worst teams had the highest draft picks, and the Celtics had slipped too low in the draft order to pick Russell. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Early years Family. "[152] In the book, Russell wrote: "Whenever I leave the Celtics locker room, even Heaven wouldn't be good enough because anywhere else is a step down With Red [Auerbach] and Walter Brown, I was the freest athlete on the planet. "[212] Describing the Celtics organization, as distinguished from Boston sports fans in the 1950s and 1960s, as very progressive racially, Russell recalled in 2010 a list of the organization's accomplishments on racial progress both in terms of objective milestones and his own subjective experience as a member of the organization. Television Pundit and Lawyer Karen Russell is the only daughter of Bill Russell. ___ [45][46] He also competed in the 440 yards (402.3m) race, which he could complete in 49.6 seconds. [19] Russell's father was once refused service at a gas station until the staff had taken care of all the white customers first. This was the first time in seven years that he failed to average at least 23 rebounds a game. During a press conference, Russell was asked: "As the first Negro head coach in a major league sport, can you do the job impartially without any racial prejudice in reverse?" In an interview with ESPN, Russell said he wanted the NFL players to know they were not alone. They got married later that year on December 9, 1956, and have 3 children together - a daughter named Karen Russell (b. Around that time, according to John Taylors book, The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball, they grew emotionally distant and divorced. [50] 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. On the top is her late father, Bill Russel, who died on July 21, 2022. [17] Shortly after his death in 2022, the NBA retired Russell's #6 jersey league-wide, making him the only player in NBA history to receive the honor. [19] In another incident, Russell's mother was walking outside in a fancy dress when a white policeman accosted her. BOSTON (AP) Bill Russell never had to find his voice as an activist. [5] Auerbach's thoughts were unorthodox, as in that period centers and forwards were defined by their offensive output, and their ability to play defense was secondary. In the 1960 NBA playoffs, Russell's Celtics met Chamberlain's Warriors in the Eastern Division Finals. In the last play, Sam Jones used a triple screen by Bailey Howell, Larry Siegfried, and Havlicek to hit a buzzer beater that equalized the series. [60], The Celtics finished the 195657 regular season with a 4428 record, the team's second-best record since beginning play in the 194647 BAA season, which guaranteed Russell his first NBA playoffs appearance,[61] where the Celtics met with the Syracuse Nationals, a team led by Dolph Schayes, through the Eastern Division Finals. [166] On June 15, 2017, Russell was announced as the inaugural recipient of the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award. [5] He was also known as a fine passer and pick-and-roll setter, featured a decent left-handed hook shot, and finished strong on alley oops. [109], For most of his career, Russell and his perennial opponent Wilt Chamberlain were close friends. [26], Russell soon became noted for his unusual style of defense. "[164] In 2000, his longtime teammate Tom Heinsohn described both Russell's stature and his uneasy relationship with Boston more earthily, saying: "Look, all I know is the guy came to Boston and won 11 championships in 13 years, and they named a bleeping tunnel after Ted Williams. Russell had three children with his first wife; two sons and a daughter. According to Taylor, he often perceived insults even if others did not. [56] This skill allowed the other Celtics to play their men aggressively; if they were beaten, they knew that Russell was guarding the basket. @celtics . [187] Russell was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, having been initiated into its Gamma Alpha chapter while a student at University of San Francisco. He lost his mother when he was just 12 years old. The Hall of Famer was 88. According to one figure closely involved in the. [90][91] It was their sixth consecutive and seventh title in Russell's eight years with the team, a streak unreached in any U.S. professional sports league. The family of William 'Mr. Bill' Russell Jones is sad to announce his passing. A 1987 essay by Bill Russell's daughter detailed racism the family faced in Mass. Russell was born on February 12, 1934, to Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana.Like almost all Southern towns and cities of that time, Monroe was very segregated and the Russells often struggled with racism in their daily lives. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed more than 50 rebounds in a game. [94] In Game 5, Russell contributed with 12 points, 28 rebounds, and 7 assists, plus 10 blocks and 6 steals; blocks and steals became officially recorded statistics in the 197374 NBA season. Despite going through numerous struggles, he managed to stay strong and make the most out of the opportunity that was given to him. LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers), are grandfatheredthey may keep the number until they voluntarily change it or retirebut the number will not be issued again to a new player. [57] Gottlieb protested the next day, saying that Russell played a one-man zone and goaltended numerous times, to only be called once. Beloved NBA legend Bill Russell has died at the age of 88, his family announced in a statement Sunday. In the pivotal Game 7, Russell managed to hold Chamberlain to 22 points, 28 points below his season average, while scoring 19 points. He led the San Francisco Dons to two consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956,[4] and he captained the gold-medal winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics. K. C. Jones did not play for the Celtics until 1958 because of military service. [98] His second choice was Cousy, who declined the invitation, stating that he did not want to coach his former teammates. Well, that let me know that if I were to accept these as the final judges of my career I would die a bitter old man." KEY POINTS. The Celtics won, earning their first NBA championship. Russell held Chamberlain to a pair of field goals in the first three quarters of Game 3. [110] Russell notified Auerbach that he was resigning to join a career in television and movies "in order to find new sources of income for the future". He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. Early. I was the MVP at the Final Four. He was notorious for his public surliness and judgmental attitude towards others. Russell's family announced the legendary NBA center died at 88. [193][194] For his promotion to coach, the Celtics paid Russell an annual salary of $25,000 which was in addition to his salary as a player. This attitude contributed to his bad rapport with fans and journalists. The game featured Shane Battier, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Maya Moore, Alonzo Mourning, Joakim Noah, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and Obama's friends from high school. Russell won 11 NBA championships, five league MVPs and also became the first Black head coach. She graduated as an English Major from the University of Washington. He was voted the NBA Most Valuable Player but only named to the All-NBA Second Team, something that would occur repeatedly throughout his career, as players voted for the MVP award, something that would last until the 197980 NBA season, while the media has always voted for the All-NBA teams. A morass to fight from. In the year 1977, Bill got the divorce from his wife and married, Miss USA named, Dorothy Anstett. As a child, he witnessed how his parents were victims of racial abuse, and the family eventually moved into government housing projects to escape the daily torrent of bigotry. 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