Russell used his popularity to fight for civil rights and help others who were in a similar situation. I could hear anything, I could see anything, and nothing mattered. [50], Before his NBA rookie year, Russell was the captain of the 1956 U.S. men's Olympic basketball team that competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics, which was held in November and December in Melbourne, Australia, in the Southern Hemisphere. [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. William Lane Russell (Bill), age 78 of Tunnel Hill, Georgia died unexpectedly on November 24, 2020. [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. At 85 years old, he is still active going to watch basketball games with his wife Jeannine Russell, as he shows in his Instagram account. [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. He retired in 1969 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame six years later. [49], Russell was considered the consummate defensive center, noted for his defensive intensity, basketball IQ, and will to win. [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. [116], After retiring as a player, Russell had stints as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics (19731977) and Sacramento Kings (19871988). [49][89], In the 196364 NBA season, the Celtics posted a league-best 5822 record in the regular season. In a game called as "unreal" and "devoid of emotion", the Sixers lost 127118 on April 5. [169], In 2013, Boston honored Russell by erecting a statue of him on City Hall Plaza. One of his highest jumps occurred at the WCR, where he achieved a mark of .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}6feet 9+14inches (2.06m);[43] at the meet, Russell tied Charlie Dumas, who would later in the year win gold in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia for the United States and become the first person to high-jump 7 feet (2.13m). Prior to Game 5, no NBA team had ever come back from a 31 deficit. Although Russell was a good runner and jumper and had large hands,[20] he did not understand the game and was cut from the team at Herbert Hoover Junior High School. I refuse to smile and be nice to the kiddies. Both Cousy and Russell called it the greatest Celtics team of all-time. [60] He alienated Celtics fans by saying: "You owe the public the same it owes you, nothing! Jacob H. Russell was born on July 6, 1959 and lives in Renton, Washington with his 44-year-old wife Sara Marckx Russell. [150] He played in eleven deciding games (ten times in Game 7s, once in a Game 5) and ended with a 110 record. [86] The Celtics reached the 1963 NBA Finals,[87] where they again defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, this time in six games. July 31, 2022 1:27pm. Arthur was a man of great courage. [180] In 1996, Russell married his third wife, Marilyn Nault;[181] their marriage lasted until her death in January 2009. [5][41] His stint as coach of the Celtics was also of historical significance,[145][146] as he became the first black head coach in the NBA,[14] when he succeeded Red Auerbach. [188] On October 16, 2013, Russell was arrested for bringing his registered, loaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun to the SeattleTacoma International Airport. "[22], During his early years, Russell struggled to develop his skills as a basketball player. [70] Boston won a then-record 59 regular-season games, including a then-record tying 17-game win streak. Tonight, Bill Russell will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2019 ESPYs, which honor the biggest and best stars in the world of sports. Following Chamberlain's death in October 1999, Russell returned to prominence at the turn of the millennium. [137][138] Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2011. K. C. Jones did not play for the Celtics until 1958 because of military service. She is a legal and political analyst who graduated from Georgetown University and Harvard Law School. [112] His No. [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). In a 1980 poll of basketball writers, he was voted the greatest . Just found out I will be receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. It's all over! Bill was born in Milltown, Tennessee on April 14, 1942. [26], Russell soon became noted for his unusual style of defense. Russell anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 titles in 13 years . [105] Russell pulled himself together and put up 9.9 points and 19.3 rebounds per game;[1] the aging Celtics stumbled through the regular season. [163], Of Russell, former NBA player and head coach Don Nelson said: "There are two types of superstars. . [16] In 2021, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a second time for his coaching career. [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. Bill Russell siblings [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. Russell's daughter, Karen, is a. 6 jersey to be retired throughout NBA", "NBA players who currently wear No. Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, who won 11 championships in 13 seasons with the team, has died, his family announced Sunday. 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. "[49], Duiring the 196869 NBA season, Russell was shocked by the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, disillusioned by the Vietnam War, and weary from his increasingly stale marriage to his wife Rose; the couple later divorced. [5][41], Besides basketball, Russell represented USF in track and field events. 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. Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you for keeping Bill in . [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. [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's death led to a tremendous outpouring of condolences from the NBA world on Sunday. Schayes, who had become the 76ers coach, said: "The Celtics can thank the Good Lord for Bill Russell. 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. [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], In the 196465 NBA season, the Celtics won a league-record 62 games and Russell averaged 14.1 points and 24.1 rebounds per game, winning his second consecutive rebounding title and his fifth MVP award. Avery Brundage, head of the International Olympic Committee, argued that Russell had already signed a professional sport contract and was no longer an amateur sportsman, but Russell prevailed. 1 choice has to be Bill Russell. He worked hard and used the benefits of a growth spurt to become a decent basketball player. 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. Russell said he was "proud of my grandfather's heroic dignity against forces more powerful than him he would not allow himself to be oppressed or intimidated by anyone." Bill Russell, who earned 11 NBA championship rings during his career, died on Sunday with his wife Jeannine by his side . 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. [220] On November 15, 2019, Russell accepted the Hall of Fame ring in a private ceremony with family. [135] During halftime of the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, Celtics captains Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce presented Russell a surprise birthday cake for his 75th birthday. [5] For his efforts, Russell was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. 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. You are a Negro. [53] His former USF and future Celtics teammate K. C. Jones joined him on the Olympic squad and contributed 10.9 points per game,[54] including a RussellJones combined 29 points in the finals. [1] While his rival had a record-breaking season of 50.4 points per game, including Chamberlain's 100-point game,[67] the Celtics became the first team to win 60 games in a season and Russell was voted as the league's MVP. [152] He could score with putbacks and made mid-air outlet passes to point guard Bob Cousy for easy fast-break points. NBA legend Bill Russell passed away at the age of 88. While in Oakland he was very poor but became a skillful basketball player. 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. Dorothy, who went by Didi, hailed from Kirkland, Washington, and went on to compete at the Miss Universe Pageant in July in Miami Beach of that same year. He married again Dorothy Anstett (Miss USA 1968) in 1977. [106], Russell and the Celtics achieved upsets over the 76ers and the Knicks to earn a meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1969 NBA Finals. Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. [160] In 2020, he was ranked No. In overtime, Frank Ramsey, the fourth forward, fouled out trying to guard Baylor, so Russell was robbed of his usual four-men wing rotation; he and little-used fifth forward Gene Guarilia successfully pressured Baylor into missed shots. 4 in a similar list by The Athletic. As a freshman at McClymonds High School in Oakland,[23][24] Russell was almost cut again;[25] as he saw Russell's raw athletic potential, coach George Powles encouraged him to work on his fundamentals. 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. 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 . The owner of the Hawks called Auerbach later and demanded more in the trade. He was born on November 2, 1957 and worked for Cox Trucking for several years. He later commented that he would have participated in the high jump if he had been snubbed by the basketball team. Celtics owner Walter A. He passed away peacefully with . 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. She used to admire her father, a national basketball player. Be the first one to comment on this story. The first team to start five black players was the Boston Celtics. Auerbach replied that Gottlieb's statements were "absolutely ridiculous" and said any controversy was "a question of sour grapes". [45][46] He also competed in the 440 yards (402.3m) race, which he could complete in 49.6 seconds. Although the salary was touted in the press as a record for an NBA coach, it is unclear whether Russell's continued $100,001 salary as a player was included in the calculation. 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. [167] In October 2021, Russell was honored as one of theleague's 75 greatest players of all-time. Russell later called it the best team of his era and the best defense of all time. [161] In 2022, he was ranked No. [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. [208], Chamberlain's knee was injured so badly that he could not play the entire offseason and he ruptured it the next season. [38] Russell led the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game for the competition. [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. ___ [12] Russell averaged 16.6 points per game and a league-record average of 22.7 rebounds per game. "Bill's wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you . 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 . Both of them had three children together. "[203] Russell was also known for his natural authority. [32] Russell became one of several big men who have brought about NCAA rule changes. [19] When he later became a standout college player at USF, Russell recalled how he and his few fellow black teammates were jeered by white students. The Boston Celtics legend, who won 11 NBA championships as a player, including two as a player-coach, on his way to the Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 88, his family announced Sunday. [39][40] During his college career, Russell was the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1955, averaging 20.7 points per game and 20.3 rebounds per game. [127] On May 20, 2007, Russell was awarded an honorary doctorate by Suffolk University, where he served as its commencement speaker. [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. There are no Insights into his past relationship. Bill Russell achieved a lot during his life. 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