In 2010 Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the countrys highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama. Prior to Game 5, no NBA team had ever come back from a 31 deficit. 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. 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. [211] After that, the two were often seen together at various events and interviewed as friends. The following season the Celtics became the first team to win 60 games in a season and he was again voted as the NBAs Most Valuable Player. He was selected by the Boston Celtics during the 1956 NBA Draft because of his defensive toughness and rebounding prowess. His coach, George Powles, encouraged the youngster to develop his skills and become a good player. [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. He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. Russell held Chamberlain to a pair of field goals in the first three quarters of Game 3. According to Taylor, he often perceived insults even if others did not. Bill Russell: Early Life and Education. [5] For his efforts, Russell was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. My wife and Russell's laugh. [70] It was the record for most rebounds in a single game until November 24, 1960, when Chamberlain grabbed 55 rebounds against Russell,[13] who led the Celtics to a 132129 win over the Philadelphia Warriors with 18 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 assists. Bill Russell was born on 12 February 1934. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Bill Russell. We won the National Championship. [45][46][47] He also competed in the 440 yards (402.3m) race, which he could complete in 49.6 seconds. [110], For most of his career, Russell and his perennial opponent Wilt Chamberlain were close friends. He was 88. [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. [2] Russell and Henri Richard of the National Hockey League are tied for the record of the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. 1934: Bill Russell is born in Louisiana Charles and Katie Russell welcome William Felton Russell on Feb. 12 in Monroe, a town in north Louisiana. ", "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', UPI College Basketball Player of the Year Award, Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year, NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player, 1955 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, 1956 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award, Wayland Baptist Women's Teams (19481982), NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Russell&oldid=1152374708, African-American male track and field athletes, African-American sports executives and administrators, All-American college men's basketball players, American sports executives and administrators, Basketball players at the 1956 Summer Olympics, Basketball players from Oakland, California, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, National Basketball Association All-Stars, National Basketball Association broadcasters, National Basketball Association championship-winning head coaches, National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award winners, National Basketball Association players with retired numbers, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball, San Francisco Dons men's basketball players, San Francisco Dons men's track and field athletes, Track and field athletes from Oakland, California, United States men's national basketball team players, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 21:24. 1 in NBA history for defensive win shares at 133.6, with Tim Duncan in second at 106.3. Celtics owner Walter A. His talent did not immediately shine through. 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. [87] The Celtics reached the 1963 NBA Finals,[88] where they again defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, this time in six games. The Celtics won, earning their first NBA championship. "[50], 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. While Charlie found good work, in 1946 his wife, Katie, became quite sick with the flu and died. "[50] The next day, The Boston Globe read: "Russell's Reflexes Befuddles Visitors. [5], Despite his limitations on offense, as Russell averaged 15.1 points per game, his rebounding, defense, and leadership made him one of the dominant players of his era. 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. He reasoned that if Saperstein was too smart to speak with him, then he was too smart to play for Saperstein. Regarded as one of the best ever players in the history of National Basketball Association (NBA), William Felton Bill Russell is a retired professional basketball player who was the centerpiece of the Bostons Celtics dynasty for a period of 13 years. He was very famous for his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense which led his team to many victories in major tournaments. In an interview with ESPN, Russell said he wanted the NFL players to know they were not alone.[226]. Jones. The Internal Revenue Service discovered that Russell owed $34,430 in tax money and put a lien on his house. He was 88 years old. [191] He was issued a citation and released, and the Transportation Security Administration indicated it would levy a civil penalty, which would be between $3,000 and $7,500. He was born and brought up in a super-rich-class Catholic Boston then beat the Los Angeles Lakers 42 in the 1968 NBA Finals, giving Russell his tenth title in twelve years. He led USF to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, including a string of 55 consecutive victories, and a 26-point, 27-rebound, 20-block performance in one game. Frank Robinson, a future member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, was one of Russell's high school basketball teammates. Russell, who had a difficult relationship with the media, did not attend either ceremony. 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. And so the Celticsall we looked for was: 'Can he play?' [5] Russell was known as one of the most clutch players in the NBA. Bill Russell had an impressive record not just as a basketball player, but more importantly, as a civil rights activist. Considered one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history, William Felton Russell was born on February 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana. [191], Russell died at his Mercer Island, Washington, home on July 31, 2022, at the age of 88. The teams coach, Red Auerbach, coveted Russell as the missing piece to what he believed could be a championship roster. Nothing went on outside the borders of the court. Athletically awkward at first, Russell struggled to find playing time on the team at McClymonds High School in Oakland. I could hear anything, I could see anything, and nothing mattered. 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. [58] Gottlieb protested the next day, saying that Russell played a one-man zone and goaltended numerous times, to only be called once. After much debate, Auerbach agreed to give up Hagan and the Hawks made the trade. His amazing performance continued in the 1958-59 season where he averaged 16.7 points per game and 23.0 rebounds per game. [85] President John F. Kennedy posed for a picture with Auerbach and the nine Celtics but not Russell, who overslept because he thought it was just a tour of the White House and did not know President Kennedy would be meeting them. [14][192] The news was announced in a Twitter post by his family. Outside the classroom, Russell began playing basketball. [21], Under head coach Gerald Tucker, Russell helped the U.S. national basketball team win the gold medal in Melbourne, defeating the Soviet Union national basketball team 8955 in the final game with an 80 undefeated run. However, he still made 12.5 points per game and 18.6 rebounds per game. 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. 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. The game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. August 1, 2022 NBA reacts to death of iconic Bill Russell [49], In the draft, Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach set his sights on Russell, thinking his defensive toughness and rebounding prowess were the missing pieces the Celtics needed. [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. [111] 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. They had three children and divorced in 1973. [163] In 2022, he was ranked No. But by his senior year, his game had picked up enough to earn him a starting spot. He replied: "Yes." The Celtics won 52 gamesa league record. The Celtics managed a 108-89 victory and swept the Nationals in three games. "[102] The game still ended on a high note for Russell. When the Sixers' Hall-of-Fame guard Hal Greer inbounded, Havlicek stole the ball, causing Celtics commentator Johnny Most to scream: "Havlicek stole the ball! [108], Days later, 30,000 Celtics fans cheered their returning heroes. And so the guy that owned the Celtics [Walter Brown] was [in addition to Auerbach for whom Russell expressed 'respect' and 'actual love'] another one of the fine, good, and decent human beings that I've ever encountered. [172] Each plinth features a key word and related quote to illustrate Russell's multiple accomplishments.