[135] He was named as a 2010 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. 1962) (TV Pundit, Lawyer) and 2 sons named William Russell Jr. and Jacob Russell. "Our house was in a shambles, and 'N***A' was spray-painted on the walls. Russell used his popularity to fight for civil rights and help others who were in a similar situation. [1] Before the January 31, 1963, 18-point, 22-rebound performance in a 128125 win against the Cincinnati Royals at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland,[83] the Celtics were to tour the White House and Russell had a "Do not disturb" sign on his phone. 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. His daughter is Karen Russell, who is a television pundit and lawyer, and his sons are William Jr. and Jacob. [38] Russell led the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game for the competition. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, List of National Basketball Association annual minutes leaders, List of National Basketball Association annual rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career minutes played leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association longest winning streaks, List of National Basketball Association single-game rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association rookie single-season rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association single-season rebounding leaders, List of NBA players with most championships, List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career rebounding leaders, "Bill Russell, Henri Richard Famous Elevens Gallery", "195356 NCAA Championship Seasons: The Bill Russell Years", "Bill Russell's Trailblazing Legacy Is Secure (Even If Stats Can't Measure It)", "Bill Russell Is A Champion By Defintion [sic]", "Where does Bill Russell rank among best centers in NBA history? "[203] Russell was also known for his natural authority. If that isn't goaltending, I want somebody to tell me what it is. [49], The Celtics lost Cousy to retirement after the 196263 NBA season, and they drafted John Havlicek and were powered by Russell, who averaged 16.8 points and 23.6 rebounds per game, won his fourth regular-season MVP award, and earned the NBA All-Star Game MVP honors at the 1963 NBA All-Star Game following his 19-point, 24-rebound performance for the Eastern Conference's All-Star team. The Celtics won, earning their first NBA championship. [6][7][8][9] Standing at 6ft 10in (2.08m) tall, with a 7ft 4in (2.24m) arm span,[10][11] his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' dominance during his career. The centerpiece of the Boston Celtics dynasty who earned 11 NBA titles during . [131][132] In 2008, Russell received the Golden Plate Award of the Academy of Achievement. The most prolific winner in NBA history, Russell was the centerpiece of. People broke into his house and destroyed his trophies, among many other outrageous deeds. [5] The Russell draft-day trade was later called one of the most important trades in the history of North American sports. In 1975, he was inducted into the basketball hall of fame. [136] Russell attended Game 5 of the 2009 NBA Finals to present Bryant the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award. No cause of death was immediately available; Russell, who. [77], In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics met the Los Angeles Lakers of forward Elgin Baylor and guard Jerry West. [156], On August 11, 2022, it was announced that Russell's No. 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. [109] Journalists were often treated to the "Russell Glower", described as an "icily contemptuous stare accompanied by a long silence". In addition, Auerbach had already used his NBA territorial pick to acquire talented forward Tom Heinsohn. The children and grandchildren of the Boston Celtics legend were able to say their goodbyes on Saturday, a source told Andscape. He worked hard and used the benefits of a growth spurt to become a decent basketball player. While in Oakland he was very poor but became a skillful basketball player. Both Cousy and Russell called it the greatest Celtics team of all-time. Early years Family. [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. The NBA great Bill Russell has died at age 88. 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. [5] He was also known as a fine passer and pick-and-roll setter, featured a decent left-handed hook shot, and finished strong on alley oops. 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. 1 in NBA history for defensive win shares at 133.6, with Tim Duncan in second at 106.3. 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. On the top is her late father, Bill Russel, who died on July 21, 2022. [115] He attended his 2021 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. Suddenly, his grandfather broke down crying. The NBA legend was a victim of racism, and not even his basketball fame helped him. He was preceded in . [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. 4 in a similar list by The Athletic. [30] Woolpert's choice of how to deploy his players was unaffected by their skin color. "[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. The Celtics rallied back, winning Game 5 122104 and Game 6 114106, powered by a spirited Havlicek and helped by a terrible Sixers shooting slump. [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. [126] On November 17, the two-time NCAA champion Russell was recognized for his impact on college basketball as a member of the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. In its announcement, the WCC stated: "The 'Russell Rule' requires each member institution to include a member of a traditionally underrepresented community in the pool of final candidates for every athletic director, senior administrator, head coach and full-time assistant coach position in the athletic department. The youngest son of the NBA legend hasn't led a very public life, which is why there isn't much information about him. Bill Russell, Boston Celtics legend, dies at 88 July 31, 2022 / 12:48 PM / AP BOSTON (AP) Bill Russell, the NBA great who anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13. He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. NBA legend Bill Russell passed away at the age of 88. She's also provided commentary on the high-profile cases of NBA players like Kobe Bryant and Jayson Williams. 6 in ESPN's NBA 75th Anniversary Team list,[162] and No. Bill Russell has been married to three different ladies during his 88 years of lifetime named Marilyn Nault (m. 1996-2009), Dorothy Anstett (m. 1977-1980), and Rose Swisher (m. 1956-1973). American baseball player and coach. [56], Russell was an elite help defender who allowed the Celtics to play the "Hey, Bill" defense: whenever a Celtic requested additional defensive help, he would shout "Hey, Bill!" [159] In 2009, Slam named him the third best player of all-time behind Jordan and Chamberlain. The family of William 'Mr. Bill' Russell Jones is sad to announce his passing. At the age of 9 he moved to Oakland. The champion marched with Martin Luther King for civil rights. Bill Russell has three children. Bill Russell Receives the 2017 NBA Lifetime Achievement Award | NBA on TNT. If you were too sheltered, you might not be motivated to help others who do not have your advantages.'. [172] The statue was unveiled on November 1, 2013, with Russell in attendance. [5] This took place during his last season (1969) and was the first season the NBA All-Defensive Teams were selected. After much debate, Auerbach agreed to give up Hagan and the Hawks made the trade. "[120] In December 2008, the We Are Boston Leadership Award was presented to Russell. The game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. [147][148], In his first NBA full season (195758), Russell became the first player in NBA history to average more than 20 rebounds per game for an entire season, a feat he accomplished ten times in his thirteen seasons. [56] This skill allowed the other Celtics to play their men aggressively; if they were beaten, they knew that Russell was guarding the basket. [152] He could score with putbacks and made mid-air outlet passes to point guard Bob Cousy for easy fast-break points. Well, that let me know that if I were to accept these as the final judges of my career I would die a bitter old man." So we never, or at least I never, ever considered him as having ulterior motives for whatever he did. At 18 he went to college, at San Francisco, where he won two NCAA Championships in 1955 and 1956. Russell later called it the best team of his era and the best defense of all time. [94] In Game 5, Russell contributed with 12 points, 28 rebounds, and 7 assists, plus 10 blocks and 6 steals; blocks and steals became officially recorded statistics in the 197374 NBA season. . Bill Russell, who earned 11 NBA championship rings during his career, died on Sunday with his wife Jeannine by his side . [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. He was notorious for his public surliness and judgmental attitude towards others. In 1956, Russell married his college sweetheart, Rose Swisher. 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. [61] Russell scored 21 points and grabbed an NBA Finals-record 40 rebounds, plus an assist, in a Game 2 loss,[73] and he added 22 points and 35 rebounds, along with 4 assists,[74] in the deciding Game 7, a 122103 victory for Boston. Bill Russell. Bill Russell (L) greets Jimmy Butler at the NBA All-Star Game 2018 at Staples Center on February 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. You are less. [86] The Celtics reached the 1963 NBA Finals,[87] where they again defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, this time in six games. 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 . [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. He was 88. 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 . "[99][214] As a result of repeated racial bigotry, Russell refused to respond to fan acclaim or friendship from his neighbors, thinking it was insincere and hypocritical. 101", "The NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, ranked: Where 76 basketball legends check in on our list", "NBA 75: Top 75 NBA players of all time, from MJ and LeBron to Lenny Wilkens", "President Obama Names Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients", "Bill Russell to receive NBA's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award", "Bill Russell's No. "[178], Russell was married to his college sweetheart Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973. I averaged over 20 points and over 20 rebounds, and I was the only guy in college blocking shots. Bill Russell is a 74 years old American baseball player and coach from Monroe, Louisiana. [125] Russell's Rules was published in 2001, and he convinced Miami Heat superstar center Shaquille O'Neal to bury the hatchet with fellow NBA superstar and former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant and end the ShaqKobe feud in January 2006. [98] His second choice was Cousy, who declined the invitation, stating that he did not want to coach his former teammates. After the loss, he led his grandfather through the Celtics locker rooms and the two saw the white Celtic Havlicek taking a shower next to his black teammate Sam Jones and discussing the game. [1] The NBA reasoned that other centers were better all-round players than Russell but no player was more valuable to his team. He has three children named Jacob Russell, William Russell Jr., and Karen Russell. In a 1980 poll of basketball writers, he was voted the greatest . The couple grew emotionally distant and divorced. Chamberlain often invited Russell over for Thanksgiving dinner; at Russell's place, conversation mostly concerned Russell's electric trains. Bill marched with Martin Luther King Jr. when he delivered his "I Have a Dream . (embedded photo)", "Rare Photos of Bill Russell (third photo in gallery", "Eight players who have won NCAA, NBA, and Olympic titles", "2003 draft eventually may be best in history", "Philadelphia Warriors vs Boston Celtics Box Score, January 1, 1957", "Russell of Celtics Violates N.B.A. He revealed that his mother died when he was 12. "[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. At age 35, Russell contributed with 6 points, 21 rebounds, and 6 assists in his last NBA game. If you were too sheltered, Im afraid youd be too naive. Bill Russell, the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics dynasty that won eight straight titles and 11 overall during his career, died Sunday. "[101] The game still ended on a high note for Russell. His father gave up his trucking job and became a steelworker in order to be closer to his children. Auerbach had informed his players to not endorse candidates or causes, as it would alienate fans; Cousy campaigned for Ted Kennedy in 1962. [107] Russell then reversed himself and ordered his team to double-team West and Boston won Game 3. Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully today at age 88, with his wife, Jeannine, by his side. The first team to start five black players was the Boston Celtics. Career, Awards, and Achievements . [208], Chamberlain's knee was injured so badly that he could not play the entire offseason and he ruptured it the next season. However, it is reported that he lives with his wife Sara Marckx Russell in Washington State. He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. When I sent you to Harvard, I expected you to be able to do the same. [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. Over the course of his 13-year NBA career, Russell steered the club to 11 titles. As part of the 1961 Celtics boycott, he and the other black teammates refused to play in the exhibition game and flew home, drawing a great deal of controversy and publicity. [171] The art is by Ann Hirsch of Somerville, Massachusetts, in collaboration with Pressley Associates Landscape Architects of Boston. [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. [139] Russell and Bryant were spectators to a basketball game for Obama's 50th birthday at the White House tennis court. This attitude contributed to his bad rapport with fans and journalists. [211] He was often called Felton X, presumably in the tradition of the Nation of Islam's practice of replacing a European slave name with an X and purchased land in Liberia. I refuse to smile and be nice to the kiddies. 6 jersey was retired by the Celtics on March 12, 1972,[113] Russell had worn the same number 6 at the USF and for the 1956 U.S. Olympic team. [157][158] In 2007, he was voted the third best center of all-time by ESPN behind Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain. In 1956 Bill Russell entered the NBA draft. [128] Russell also received honorary degrees from Harvard University on June 7, 2007,[129] and from Dartmouth College on June 14, 2009. While there is still progress to be made, the Hall of Famer should get a lot of credit for fighting against what was wrong. [20], At USF, Russell became the new starting center for coach Phil Woolpert of the San Francisco Dons. "Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate teammate, and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever," Silver added. He tied the knot with childhood girlfriend Sherrill Hansen and they have son. [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. Particularly if you live a long life. Career-wise in rebounds, Russell ranks second to Chamberlain in regular season total (21,620) and average per game (22.5), and he led the NBA in average rebounds per game four times. 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