No one in the history of North American team sports won at a higher level than Bill Russell did as a member of the Boston Celtics, capturing 11 championships in his 13 seasons with the team. [198][199] Russell's motto became: "If you disrespect that line, you disrespect me. He told her to go home and remove the dress, which he described as "white woman's clothing". Bill Russell parents Russell was born on February 12, 1934, to Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana. [205], Russell was known for his distinctive high-pitched laugh, of which Auerbach quipped: "There are only two things that could make me quit coaching. The Lakers featured new recruit Chamberlain next to perennial stars Baylor and West, and were the favorites. 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. 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. 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. Russell responded to the honor by tweeting, Just found out I will be receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. Well, Karen Kenyatta had four important members in her family. The burglars had poured beer on the pool table and ripped up the felt," Karen wrote in the . ", "Glory at the Basket, William Felton Russell", "The Ring Leader: Bill Russell helped the Celtics rule their sport like no team ever has", "Celtics Name Russell Coach, Making Him First Negro to Lead Major Team", "A Farewell Fiercest Rival: Bill Russell Recalls Wilt As His Friend For Eternity", "Bill Russell: Working with Red Auerbach", "More than 40 years later, Celtics great Bill Russell finally accepts his Hall of Fame ring", "Third Annual 'We Are Boston' Event Honors Outstanding Contributions to Boston's Diversity", "Bill Russell: 'Tell those NFL players, I'm with them', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Russell&oldid=1134316357, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 18 January 2023, at 02:15. [The sound of Russell throwing up] is a welcome sound, too, because it means he's keyed up for the game, and around the locker room we grin and say, 'Man, we're going to be all right tonight. If you were too sheltered, you might not be motivated to help others who do not have your advantages.'. According to Taylor, he often perceived insults even if others did not. . Born on November 2, 1957, in Melrose, Massachusetts, William Felton Russell Jr. worked for Cox Trucking for several years. You are less. @NBA: The great Bill Russell joins the fellas, live on . Russell limited Chamberlain to only two shot attempts in the second half. is LYING to you. From the humblest of beginnings, Russell went on to lead each and every one of his basketball teams to Championships two California State High School Championships, two back-to-back NCAA titles, a Gold . It's all over! He made a free throw, blocked a shot by Sixers player Chet Walker, grabbed a rebound off a miss by Greer, and passed the ball to teammate Sam Jones, who scored to clinch the win. He grew up in a racially segregated neighbourhood where his family was often subjected to rampant acts of racism. "[30] The NCAA rewrote rules in response to Russell's dominant play; the lane was widened for his junior year. Russell played 48 games, averaging 14.7 points per game and a league-high 19.6 rebounds per game. At the age of 9 he moved to Oakland. [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. Both Cousy and Russell called it the greatest Celtics team of all-time. The oldest son of Bill Russell, William Felton Russell Jr, who was named after the 11-time NBA champion, unfortunately passed away in 2016. BOSTON (AP) Bill Russell never had to find his voice as an activist. [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. [18], Russell was born on February 12, 1934, to Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana. 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. The Celtics won, earning their first NBA championship. His family said on social media that Russell died on Sunday, July 31, 2022. Jacob H. Russell was born on July 6, 1959 and lives in Renton, Washington with his 44-year-old wife Sara Marckx Russell. As the teams split the first six games, the tension was so high that in Game 3 Celtics coach Auerbach punched his colleague Ben Kerner and received a $300 fine. Bill Russell, one of the greatest basketball players of all time who led the charge on and off the court, has died, his family announced Sunday. By profession, Karen is an attorney and political expert. Karen Kenyatta Russell is the daughter of NBA Icon Bill Russel. He is quoted by Fox Sports as saying that his father lived in Louisiana. [80] As the game was tied, Russell had the daunting task of defending against Baylor with little frontline help: Loscutoff, Heinsohn, and Satch Sanders, the three best Celtics forwards, had fouled out. [109] In response, Russell described Boston as a "flea market of racism". [107] It was so surprising that Auerbach was blindsided and made the mistake of drafting guard Jo Jo White instead of a center. It covered every area. [49] Despite this, the Celtics were leading only 9795 with 34 seconds left when Russell closed out the game with several consecutive clutch plays. [133][134], On February 14, 2009, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award would be renamed the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his honor as an 11-time NBA champion. [16] In 2021, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a second time for his coaching career. I'm certainly going to ask Maurice Podoloff." The champion marched with Martin Luther King for civil rights. No cause of death was immediately available; Russell, who. She used to admire her father, a national basketball player. To coach the Celtics, he had initially wanted his old player Frank Ramsey, who was too occupied running his three lucrative nursing homes. [109][219], Russell refused to attend the ceremony when his jersey No. Following Chamberlain's death in October 1999, Russell returned to prominence at the turn of the millennium. And what we would do is[Auerbach] trusted all his playersso like when he'd make a coaching decision, he could talk: he talked to [Bob] Cousey [who is white], he talked to me [black], he talked to [Bill] Sharman [white], he talked to Sam [Jones] [black]all of us: 'What do you think?' FILE - Boston Celtics legendary player Bill Russell is greeted at his seat before Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers . 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. He didn't. [3] Russell is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Russell anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 titles in 13 years. [172] The statue was unveiled on November 1, 2013, with Russell in attendance. [136] Russell attended Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals to present Bryant the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award. Beloved NBA legend Bill Russell has died at the age of 88, his family announced in a statement Sunday. [135] He was named as a 2010 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Russell anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 titles in 13 years . [156], On August 11, 2022, it was announced that Russell's No. He has three children named Jacob Russell, William Russell Jr., and Karen Russell. [Auerbach would] get the information from us and then make a decision based on that information and his thoughts. The family of William 'Mr. Bill' Russell Jones is sad to announce his passing. He had a difficult childhood and grew up in poverty. William Felton "Bill" Russell was an American professional basketball player. At one point, Karen asked her father if it was difficult to send her to school in Boston, where she attended Harvard Law School. [25] Sports journalist John Taylor described it as a watershed event in Russell's life because he realized that basketball was his chance to escape poverty and racism, and he swore to make the best of it. [192] When Wilt Chamberlain became the first NBA player to earn $100,000 in salary in 1965 (equivalent to $859,873 in 2021), Russell went to Auerbach and demanded a $100,001 salary, which he promptly received. 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. 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. [112] His No. 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. The relationship between the two was tenuous at best. [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". He was convinced that the U.S. was a corrupt nation and that he was wasting his time playing something as superficial as basketball. What do we know about Russells personal life? "[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. [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. July 31, 2022 1:27pm. And in basketball I respect a man for his ability, period. Russell also ignored Heinsohn's request for an autograph on behalf of his cousin and openly said to Heinsohn that he deserved half of his $300 Rookie of the Year check. [77], In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics met the Los Angeles Lakers of forward Elgin Baylor and guard Jerry West. When Chamberlain died in 1999, Chamberlain's nephew said that Russell was the second person he was told to call. [76], In the 196162 NBA season, Russell scored a career-high 18.9 points per game, accompanied by 23.6 rebounds per game. I could always be myself with them and they were always there for me. Boston then beat the Los Angeles Lakers 42 in the 1968 NBA Finals, giving Russell his tenth title in twelve years. He's so good, he scares you. In 1977, four years after his divorce from Rose Swisher, Russell married Dorothy Anstett, who was Miss USA 1968. Television Pundit and Lawyer Karen Russell is the only daughter of Bill Russell. Bill Russell, the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics dynasty that won eight straight titles and 11 overall during his career, died Sunday. [142] By winning the 1956 NCAA championship with USF and the 1957 NBA title with the Celtics,[143] 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. Be the first one to comment on this story. Russell's 51 rebounds in a single game is the second-highest performance ever, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's all-time record of 55. He was preceded in . No cause of death was immediately available; Russell, who had been living in the Seattle area, was not well enough to present the NBA Finals MVP trophy in June due to a long illness. 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. Bill Russell, professional basketball's first Black superstar who reinvented the center position with the 1950s and '60s Boston Celtics, has died. In addition to Macauley, who was the Celtics' premier player at the time, he wanted Cliff Hagan, who had been serving in the military for three years and had not yet played for the Celtics. They had three children: daughter Karen Russell, a television pundit and lawyer, and sons William Jr. and Jacob. He is depicted in-game, surrounded by 11 plinths representing the 11 championships he helped the Celtics win. This was the first time in seven years that he failed to average at least 23 rebounds a game. Over the course of his life, Rusell played 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, during which time he took home 11 championships titles with the team. [50], The St. Louis Hawks, who owned the second pick, drafted Russell but were vying for Celtics center Ed Macauley, a six-time NBA All-Star who had roots in St. Louis. In the pivotal Game 7, Russell managed to hold Chamberlain to 22 points, 28 points below his season average, while scoring 19 points. By Amanda Kaufman Globe Staff, Updated August 1, 2022, 3:42 p.m. Boston Celtics player-coach Bill Russell. The children and grandchildren of the Boston Celtics legend were able to say their goodbyes on Saturday, a source told Andscape. [50] Auerbach later said that Brown offered Harrison guaranteed performances of the Ice Capades if they did not draft Russell; it is difficult to verify or disprove this, but it is clear that the Royals underrated Russell. While there is still progress to be made, the Hall of Famer should get a lot of credit for fighting against what was wrong. Asked by Russell what was wrong, his grandfather replied how proud he was of him, being coach of an organization in which blacks and whites coexisted in harmony. [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). He replied: "Yes." His father gave up his trucking job and became a steelworker in order to be closer to his children. 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, according to a family statement from. 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. [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. The NBA family just learned this afternoon that Bill Russell, the 11-time champion and Hall of Fame icon of the Boston Celtics, who used that fame to further the civil rights cause in the. 6 to be retired across NBA following legend's death last month", "Chat Transcript: Celtics Legend Bill Russell", "Russell 'So good, he scares you' Mikan", "Bill Russell Named Boston Celtic Coach; Basketball Star To Draw $125,001 Salary a Record for a Pro Coach or Manager He'll Take over Next Season", "Who's Better At Hoops: Bill Russell Or Frank Robinson? Russell used a copy as extra motivation and told his team to play a running game because in that case it was not the better but the more determined team that was going to win. Your login session has expired. When the Celtics drafted Chuck Cooper and they came into Washington, D.C., to sign his contract, Walter Brown the owner of the team walked up to him and said: 'Mr. From his early childhood years, Williams Jr. was fascinated by trucks, and that is why he pursued his passion of being a driver. Born in Dallas on November 8, 1935, William Russell "Bill" Goff was a lifelong Texan. [49] On offense, Russell's output was limited and his NBA career personal averages show him to be an average scorer (15.1 points career average), a poor free-throw shooter (56.1%), and average overall shooter from the field (44%, not exceptional for a center). He passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 25, 2016. [5] Chamberlain said Russell's timing as a shot-blocker was unparalleled. The fans could do or think whatever they wanted. 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. [80][81] Russell finished with a clutch performance, scoring 30 points, along with 4 assists,[82] and tying his own NBA Finals record with 40 rebounds in a 110107 overtime win. Heinsohn felt that Russell resented him because the former was named the 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year. [51] 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. [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. [98] On April 16, 1966, Russell agreed to become head coach of the Celtics, and a public announcement was made two days later. [49] After the Celtics' 10889 victory, Schayes, who made Johnny Kerr come off the bench because he struggled against Russell in the regular season, quipped: "How much does that guy make a year? In 2009, the NBA renamed the NBA Finals MVP Award in his honor. [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. August 1, 2022 9:47 AM Bill Russell discusses his views on race and being a barrier breaker in the 1960s. He married again Dorothy Anstett (Miss USA 1968) in 1977. A morass to fight from. [21] In delivering a eulogy for Chamberlain, Russell stated that he did not consider them to be rivals, but rather to have a competition, and that the pair would "be friends through eternity". We won the National Championship. [137][138] Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2011. [191], During his career, Russell was one of the first big earners in NBA basketball. [154] In 1970, The Sporting News named Russell the "Athlete of the Decade". [13], Russell's life was marked by an uphill battle against racism and controversial actions and statements in response to racism. He was notorious for his public surliness and judgmental attitude towards others. He's the guy who whipped us psychologically. 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. He had invested $250,000 in a rubber plantation in Liberia, where he had wanted to spend his retirement, but it went bankrupt. "Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate teammate, and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever," Silver added. 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. [19] In another incident, Russell's mother was walking outside in a fancy dress when a white policeman accosted her. [4] In his USF years, Russell took advantage of his relative lack of bulk to develop a unique defensive style: instead of purely guarding the opposing center, he used his quickness and speed to play help defense against opposing forwards and aggressively challenge their shots. He revealed that his mother died when he was 12. Both of them had three children together. [221] When Russell originally retired, he demanded that his jersey be retired in an empty Boston Garden. [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. The Bill Russell Legacy Foundation, established by the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, funded the project. "[49] 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. He was one of five, along with James Naismith, Oscar Robertson, Dean Smith, and John Wooden, selected to represent the inaugural class. During Russell's college career, the conference was known as the California Basketball Association. The first team to start five black players was the Boston Celtics. DeJulio was unimpressed by Russell's meager scoring and "atrocious fundamentals",[29] but he sensed that the young Russell had an extraordinary instinct for the game, especially in the clutch. 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