Bill Russell

Olympic medal record
Men's Basketball

This article concerns the basketball player. For the baseball player, see Bill Russell (baseball); for the composer, music historian, and record producer, see Bill Russell (American Music).

William Felton Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a former American basketball player remembered for his central role in the Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons, during which he led the Boston Celtics to eight straight championships. He raised defensive play to a new level and is commonly considered the greatest defensive center to ever play the game (and by some, the greatest all-around basketball player).

Tapped by Red Auerbach to succeed him, Russell became the first black coach of an NBA team and won two championships as player-coach. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. [1]

Russell holds the record for the most NBA championships won in a North American sports league, with 11, sharing this distinction with only Henri "Pocket Rocket" Richard of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens, who won 11 Stanley Cup rings in 20 seasons.

Biography

Early years

Born in Monroe, Louisiana and raised in Oakland, California, the 6-foot 9-inch (2.06 m) tall Russell played at McClymonds High School. He also played college basketball at the University of San Francisco, which he led to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, including an impressive string of 55 consecutive victories (after Russell left, San Francisco would push the streak to 60 before losing)[2]. For his college career, Russell averaged 20.7 points per game and 20.3 rebounds per game.

Russell was the captain and leading scorer of the 1956 United States men's Olympic basketball team, which cruised to the gold medal at the Melbourne Summer Games with an average margin of victory of 53.5 points per game.

Boston Celtics

Russell was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks but played for the Celtics from 1956 to 1969, winning the NBA championship every year except 1958 (losing in the finals) and 1967. In his first full season (1957-58), Russell became the first player in NBA history to average more than 20 rebounds per game for an entire season — a feat he accomplished 10 times in his 13 seasons. Careerwise, Russell ranks second only to Wilt Chamberlain in regular season total (21,620) and average (22.5) rebounds per game. Russell's 51 rebounds in a single game is the second best performance ever (only trailing Wilt Chamberlain's record of 55), and he still holds the NBA record for rebounds in one half with 32. 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, and he never failed to average at least 20 rebounds per game in any of his 13 post-season campaigns. In his career, Russell won four rebounding titles and earned five regular season MVP awards. He was named MVP of the NBA All-Star Game in 1963.

In 1966, legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach named Russell his successor as head coach; he thus became the first African-American head coach in US major league team sports history. Russell served as player-coach from 1966 to 1969, winning two NBA championships; he later coached the Seattle SuperSonics (1973 to 1977) and Sacramento Kings (1987 to 1988), but did not succeed in winning another championship.

Russell has received virtually every NBA honor that exists, and in 1968, he received Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award. In 1980, he was named the greatest player in the history of the NBA by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America.

Post-NBA

Russell has worked as a TV commentator on basketball since his retirement and is also the author of several books, usually written as a joint project with a professional writer. One, Second Wind, is rather different from the typical athlete's reminiscences, being a sort of combined autobiography and athletic history of a particularly dramatic time in American history.

In recent years, he convinced Shaquille O'Neal to bury the hatchet with former teammate Kobe Bryant, with whom O'Neal had a bitter feud.

Personal life

Russell was life-long friends with another legend, Wilt Chamberlain, who many consider to be the greatest ever offensive player; their on-court battles were perhaps the greatest individual rivalry in the history of the league. It should be noted however that Bill Russell never considered Chamberlain his rival and dislikes the term. In his book Russell Rules, Russell describes Chamberlain as his competitor, not his rival, because they were friends.

He was exceptionally active in the American Civil Rights Movement. At one point, he refused to play a game when he and his black teammates were refused service at a local restaurant. In 1968 Russell's home was vandalized by bigots, an event that led him to call the city of Boston a "flea market of racism"[3].Bill Russell was also active in the "Black Power" movement. He was often called "Felton X" and he even purchased land in Liberia.

Player Profile

An uncanny shotblocker who revolutionized NBA defensive concepts.

— introductory line of Russell's nba.com summary [4]

Russell is the NBA's greatest winner of all time. He won 11 NBA championships in the 13 years that he played in the NBA, while anchoring the most successful dynasty in all American team sports. He was a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player, as well as a 12-time All-Star, whose 21,620 career rebounds (22.5 per game, second all-time behind his perennial nemesis Wilt Chamberlain) and unparalleled defensive play set the standard by which all other players are measured.

As neither All-Defensive Teams nor defensive stats like steals or blocked shots were documented during Russell's NBA career, it is difficult to make definite statements, but it is commonly believed that Russell was the most terrifying defensive presence of all time. He especially excelled at blocking shots. NBA.com writes: "His ability to leave his man and slide over to cover an opponent driving to the hoop was startling. He was unmatched at swooping across the lane like a big bird to block and alter shots. The rest of the Celtics defenders began to funnel their men toward Russell and become more daring with their perimeter defense, knowing that he was looming behind." He would also pluck defensive rebounds and make mid-air outlet passes to teammate point guard Bob Cousy for easy fast break points. [5] Russell also excelled in getting into the minds of his opponents: sportswriter Frank Deford observed "Russell blocked shots without blocking shots. People wouldn't take shots, knowing Bill Russell was there. He changed the whole game."

Although at 6-foot 9-inches (2.06 m) shorter than many centers in the NBA, Russell had intimidating leaping ability (he could high jump his own height), impressive agility, and uncanny quickness for a big man; enabling him to effectively shut bigger pivot men down. This is perhaps best illustrated in his games against Wilt Chamberlain, an all-time NBA top scorer who was far taller, bigger, and arguably more talented than him. Frank Ramsey observed. “When he (Chamberlain) wants to take his banker against anyone else, he squats, jumps and shoots. Against Russell, he squats, fakes, shoots, fakes and then shoots. He’s thinking Russell is going to block the shot. He knows the other centers can’t, but Russell can, and it bothers him.” [6]. Against Russell, Chamberlain averaged a respectable 28.7 points, however, in his career up to Russell's retirement in 1969, Wilt's "usual" production was about 37 points [7], so when they faced one another, Russell single-handedly took away a third of his scoring. Russell routinely intimidated opponents into taking lower percentage shots, as well as disrupting their fast breaks: John Havlicek said Russell not only could predict what his opponent was going to do, he "could take a sequence in which there was a 90 percent scoring chance and reduce it to 50 percent.", just by threatening to block the shot [8]. What's more, Russell's unusual quickness and defensive skill enabled him to leave his man and double-team another, and when the double-teamed opponent passed to their now open center, Russell usually recovered in time to defend, intimidate, block a shot, or cause the opposing player to take a poor shot and miss, whilst Russell grabbed the rebound. On the offensive boards, Russell often scored on putbacks and gave his teammates a lot of second chances. What's more, his great rebounding, coupled with his quick outlet passes and great court-vision, made him an unusually dangerous fast break threat. Remarkably, Russell's assist average rose from a low 1.8 in his rookie year to a peak of 5.8.

Perhaps the best example of Russell's superb defense and lightning quickness was the "The Coleman Play" (see below), regarded as one of the most unbelievable clutch defensive plays of all time.

Apart from being a legendary defender, rebounder, and shot blocker, Russell was famous for his mental toughness. His winning legacy (11 NBA championship rings in 13 seasons) and five MVP awards prove that he is without question the most prolific clutch performer in American team sports. Not only his teammates, but also contemporary NBA greats like Dolph Schayes, Bob Pettit, and Jerry West (himself regarded as a supreme clutch player) testified how competitive, smart, and tough Russell was psychologically [9]. Fittingly, Russell closed out his career while leading the Celtics to their 11th championship in 13 years. In the next season, the Celtics won only 34 of 82 games and failed to make the playoffs, illustrating just how valuable he was to them.

However, Russell was not without weakness. His NBA career personal averages paint him as a mediocre scorer (15.1 points career average), a poor free throw shooter (56.1%), and average overall shooter from the field (44%, mild for a center). Nonetheless, his post game was effective, albeit often raw and rudimentary. He favored his clean left-handed hook shot, and he scored well using his right hand, too. In many ways, Russell fit perfectly into Celtics' coach Red Auerbach's strategy of unselfish play; and usually most of the Celtics' starting five players and their sixth man (initially Bill Sharman, and later John Havlicek) scored in double figures.

To me, one of the most beautiful things to see is a group of men coordinating their efforts toward a common goal, alternately subordinating and asserting themselves to achieve real teamwork in action. I tried to do that, we all tried to do that, on the Celtics. I think we succeeded."

— Bill Russell [10]

The Coleman Play

The Coleman Play is the name given Bill Russell's clutch defensive play in the Celtic's double-overtime win in Game 7 of the 1957 NBA Finals against St. Louis. With less than a minute remaining in the game, Bob Cousy scored a basket to give the Celtics a 103-102 lead. However, St. Louis immediately made a quick outlet pass to guard Jack Coleman, who was running uncontested towards the their basket for a layup.

Literally standing behind the opposing baseline, Russell sprinted the length of the court at unbelievable speed and closed in on Coleman, who, as a guard was a decently fast player, too. Cousy recalled: “Coleman (...) was a good four or five steps ahead of everybody. He was going to score, and they were going to get the lead back with 40 seconds or so left to play. Russell took off with those loping steps and they must have been six or seven of the longest steps ever seen. He covered the entire 94 feet in no time at all and blocked Coleman’s shot.”

The block sent legendary Celtics Johnny Most into a frenzy, screaming, “Blocked by Russell! Blocked by Russell! He came from nowhere!” Cousy, Red Auerbach, and Tom Heinsohn all cited that play as the greatest play that they ever saw. [11]

Quote

Bill Russell's famous saying was "Don't knock the ball in the stands, keep it in your hands." Russell was referring to players who had the opportunity to obtain possession of the ball while blocking an opponent's shot, but instead knocked it far away for theatrical effect.

Trivia

At McClymonds High School, Russell only played varsity basketball in his senior year.

At McClymonds High School in Oakland, California, one of Russell's basketball teammates was a future Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer, Frank Robinson.

Russell was offered a place in the legendary Harlem Globetrotters after college. However, when owner Abe Saperstein would only talk with Russell's white coach, he declined signing, saying that if Saperstein was too smart to talk to him, he was too smart to play for Saperstein. Consequently, he signed with the Boston Celtics and later became an NBA Hall of Famer.

Having won an NCAA Championship his final year with the University of San Francisco in 1956 and an NBA title with the Celtics in 1957, Russell is only one of four players in basketball history to win an NCAA championship and an NBA Championship back-to-back, the others being Henry Bibby (UCLA 1972, New York Knicks 1973), Magic Johnson (Michigan State University 1979, Los Angeles Lakers 1980) and Billy Thompson (University of Louisville 1986, Los Angeles Lakers 1987). In the interim, Russell collected an Olympic gold medal in 1956.

The 1958 St. Louis Hawks and 1967 Philadelphia 76ers were the only two teams to prevent Russell from winning an NBA championship every year that he played in the NBA; coincidentally, both teams were coached by Alex Hannum.

Is left-handed.

Brother of playwright Charlie L. Russell.

Father of lawyer and television pundit Karen Russell.

Guest starred on the television series Miami Vice as a corrupt judge.

External links

Preceded by Tom Gola	NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (men's) 1955	Succeeded by Hal Lear
Preceded by Red Auerbach	Boston Celtics Head Coach 1966–1969	Succeeded by Tom Heinsohn
Preceded by Bucky Buckwalter	Seattle SuperSonics Head Coach 1973–1977	Succeeded by Bob Hopkins
Preceded by Jerry Reynolds	Sacramento Kings Head Coach 1987–1988	Succeeded by Jerry Reynolds