[156], On August 11, 2022, it was announced that Russell's No. He later recalled: "To play good defense it was told back then that you had to stay flatfooted at all times to react quickly. Lakers coach Bill van Breda Kolff kept him on the bench until the end of the game, saying later that he wanted to stay with the lineup responsible for the comeback. Karen has served as the Development Director for the Robert F Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights and has also contributed to publications like The New York Times. [45][46] He also competed in the 440 yards (402.3m) race, which he could complete in 49.6 seconds. [77] In the Eastern Division championships of the 1962 NBA playoffs, the Celtics met the Philadelphia Warriors led by Chamberlain, who averaged 50 points per game that season, and Russell did his best to slow him down. [135] He was named as a 2010 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Brown, who gave him a high $24,000 rookie contract, just $1,000 shy of the top-earning veteran Bob Cousy.[120]. [107] The teams split the next two games and it all came down to Game 7 in Los Angeles, where Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke angered and motivated the Celtics by putting "proceedings of Lakers victory ceremony" on the game leaflets. Bill Russell has three children. The Celtics made good use of the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers had exhausted the St. Louis Hawks in a long seven-game Western Conference Finals,[75] and Boston won the 1961 NBA Finals in five games. [21] Of Russell the college basketball player, Mikan said: "Let's face it, he's the best ever. Bill Russell's death led to a tremendous outpouring of condolences from the NBA world on Sunday. Russell's stint with the Kings was considerably shorter, his last assignment ending when the Kings went 1741 to begin the 198788 NBA season. 18 on ESPN's "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century" list in 1999. He retired in 1969 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame six years later. His father gave up his trucking job and became a steelworker in order to be closer to his children. Celtics owner Walter A. [41], In his career, Russell won five NBA MVP awards (1959, 196163, 1965),[5] which is tied with Michael Jordan for second all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's six awards, and is at No. [65] The teams split the first two games, but Russell went down with a foot injury in Game 3 and only returned for Game 6. [115] While Russell long had sore feelings towards Boston, there was something of a reconciliation, and he visited the city regularly in his later years, something he never did in the years immediately after his retirement. Russell limited Chamberlain to only two shot attempts in the second half. [34] Even after he became a star with the Celtics, Russell was the victim of racial abuse. In 1954, he became the first coach of a major college basketball squad to start three African-American players: K. C. Jones, Hal Perry, and Russell. In 1977, four years after his divorce from Rose Swisher, Russell married Dorothy Anstett, who was Miss USA 1968. [5][96], In the 196566 NBA season, Russell contributed 12.9 points and 22.8 rebounds per game. And so the Celticsall we looked for was: 'Can he play?' Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. She used to admire her father, a national basketball player. This was in contrast to other Celtics who had to work during the offseason to maintain their standard of living; Tom Heinsohn sold insurance, Gene Guarilia was a professional guitar player, Cousy ran a basketball camp, and Red Auerbach invested in plastics and a Chinese restaurant. And in basketball I respect a man for his ability, period. [76], In the 196162 NBA season, Russell scored a career-high 18.9 points per game, accompanied by 23.6 rebounds per game. UCLA Bruins coach John Wooden called Russell "the greatest defensive man I've ever seen". In honoring the legendary athlete, ESPN writes that recipients of the distinguished award, reflect the spirit of Arthur Ashe, possessing strength in the face of adversity, courage in the face of peril and the willingness to stand up for their beliefs no matter what the cost.. [179] In 1977, he married Dorothy Anstett, Miss USA of 1968;[179] they divorced in 1980. The teams split the first six games. [224], 19561958: Rookie champion and early years, 19581966: Eight straight NBA championships, 19661969: Player-coach champion and final years, Racist abuse, controversy, and relationship with Boston fans. Bill Russell was born to Charles and Katie Russell on February 12, 2022, in West Monroe, Louisiana. He passed away peacefully with . [101], In the 196768 NBA season, the 34-year-old Russell averaged 12.5 points per game and 18.6 rebounds per game,[1] the latter of which was good enough for the third-highest average in the league. [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. Bill Russell never ceases to amaze me. A 1987 essay by Bill Russell's daughter detailed racism the family faced in Mass. [107], Days later, 30,000 Celtics fans cheered their returning heroes. 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 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. Russell described himself as an avid reader of Dell Magazines' 1950s sports publications, which he used to scout opponents' moves for the purpose of defending against them. [1] The Celtics won the 1966 NBA Finals and their eighth consecutive title. Bill Russell, the NBA great who anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13 years the last two as the first Black head coach in any major U.S. sport and marched for . [52] The U.S. dominated the tournament, winning by an average of 53.5 points per game. In 1975, he was inducted into the basketball hall of fame. [8][38] His awards and achievements include eleven NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in thirteen seasons,[52] two of which were won as player-coach,[141] and he is credited with having raised defensive play in the NBA to a new level. In May 30, it was announced that the former Celtics player would be receiving the Arthur Ashe Award at the ESPYs. Cash in on NFL Wild Card Weekend: Bet $5, Get $150 in Free Bets. Russell used his popularity to fight for civil rights and help others who were in a similar situation. In 1975, he was inducted into the basketball hall of fame. [1] Boston defeated the Cincinnati Royals 41 to earn another NBA Finals appearance and then won against Chamberlain's newly relocated San Francisco Warriors 41. [222] In 1995, the Celtics left the Boston Garden and entered the FleetCenter, now known as the TD Garden; as the main festive act, the Celtics wanted to re-retire Russell's jersey in front of a sellout audience. Of the book, Bill Bradley wrote for The New York Times Book Review that "Bill Russell is a private, complex man, but on the subject of his love of Red Auerbach and his Celtic teammates, he's loud and clear. You are less. [110] Although White became a standout Celtics player, Boston lacked an All-Star center, went 3448 in the 196970 NBA season, and failed to make it to the 1970 NBA playoffs, marking the first time since 1950 that they did not make the playoffs. I averaged over 20 points and over 20 rebounds, and I was the only guy in college blocking shots. Dorothy Anstett Born: Kirkland, Washington, United States Date of birth: 1947-06-28 Spouse: Bill Russell https://t.co/T9E7sVcZUO pic.twitter.com/se6ka2URg3. In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that Russell was "the greatest champion in all of team sports". "[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. [130] On June 18, 2007, Russell was inducted as a member of the founding class of the FIBA Hall of Fame. "[49], The Celtics swept the Nationals in three games to earn the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance in the 1957 NBA Finals,[62] where they met the St. Louis Hawks, led by Pettit and former Celtic Ed Macauley. 4 in ESPN's list of the top 74 NBA players of all time, the second best center behind Abdul-Jabbar and ahead of Chamberlain. [109] Russell was also notorious for his refusal to give autographs or acknowledge the Celtics fans, and was called "the most selfish, surly and uncooperative athlete" by one pundit. 1962) (TV Pundit, Lawyer) and 2 sons named William Russell Jr. and Jacob Russell. "[49] The next day, The Boston Globe read: "Russell's Reflexes Befuddles Visitors. Russell. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities, and he led the NBA in rebounds four times, had a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds,[12] and remains second all time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. At 18 he went to college, at San Francisco, where he won two NCAA Championships in 1955 and 1956. [37], On the hardwood, Russell's experiences were far more pleasant. It covered every area. 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. His daughter is Karen Russell, who is a television pundit and lawyer, and his sons are William Jr. and Jacob. 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 growing up. 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 . Because Russell ignored virtually any well-wisher who approached him home or away, including the vast majority of media, his autograph was among the most difficult to secure of any professional athlete of his time. He was selected into the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971 and the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1980, named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996,[5] one of only four players to receive all three honors, and selected into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. He had a difficult childhood and grew up in poverty. In these eleven games, Russell averaged 18.3 points and 29.4 rebounds. [222] He thanked Chamberlain for taking him to the limit and "making [him] a better player", and the crowd for "allowing [him] to be a part of their lives. He was a standout in the high jump and according to Track & Field News was ranked the seventh-best high-jumper in the world in 1956, his graduation year, despite not competing in Olympic high-jump competition. On May 6, 1999, the Celtics re-retired Russell's jersey in a ceremony attended by his on-court rival and friend Chamberlain, along with Celtics legend Larry Bird and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In the 1959 NBA Finals, the Celtics recaptured the NBA title, sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers 40. [4][8] While at USF, he and Jones helped pioneer a play that later became known as the alley-oop. [163], Of Russell, former NBA player and head coach Don Nelson said: "There are two types of superstars. His nickname is Russell William Ellis. Russell's Celtics went 5737 in the regular season against Chamberlain's teams and 2920 in the playoffs, Chamberlain's losing seven of the eight series. Following Chamberlain's death in October 1999, Russell returned to prominence at the turn of the millennium. [128] Russell also received honorary degrees from Harvard University on June 7, 2007,[129] and from Dartmouth College on June 14, 2009. She has done a lot of activist work, and her articles can be found in the New York Times Magazine, HuffPost, and many other publications. Bill Cosby's daughter Ensa was buried at the comedian's family compound outside Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts on Wednesday. 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. [5][41], Besides basketball, Russell represented USF in track and field events. Bill Russell Receives the 2017 NBA Lifetime Achievement Award | NBA on TNT. In the letter she wrote for The New York Times in 1987, Karen Russell said her family came home from a three-day weekend one night to find their house robbed and vandalized. Bill Russell's legacy of lonely courage in the fight against hate Kevin Cullen Dan McGowan The Rhode Island Senate president's final words for Providence Mayor Elorza YOU'VE BEEN SELECTED We. [5][49], In the 196061 NBA season, Russell averaged 16.9 points and 23.9 rebounds per game,[1] leading his team to a regular season mark of 5722. 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. [5] The Russell draft-day trade was later called one of the most important trades in the history of North American sports. They got married later that year on December 9, 1956, and have 3 children together - a daughter named Karen Russell (b. Daughter detailed racism the family faced in Mass U.S. dominated the tournament, winning by an of! S death led to a tremendous outpouring of condolences from the NBA title, sweeping the Lakers...: Kirkland, Washington, United States Date of birth: 1947-06-28 Spouse: bill Russell:. Helped pioneer a play that later became known as the alley-oop Washington, United Date! 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