Reflecting on the legacy of Celtics great Bill Russell Russells example helped shape the generations that followed him. But the thing that Bill Russell was always focused on as a player was being a member of the Celtic family. While in Oakland he was very poor but became a skillful basketball player. Over the course of his 13-year NBA career, Russell steered the club to 11 titles. He brought a defensive style of play and led his side to the playoffs, the first in their franchise history. He had then joined the University of San Francisco in 1953 and graduated from there in 1956. His on-court achievements did not give him a platform; instead, they granted him a strange kind of amnestythe very greatness that should have forced others to listen somehow overshadowed any trouble he might have wanted to stir up. Holds the NBA single-game record for most rebounds in a half (32) vs. Philadelphia on Nov. 16, 1957. His last season came in 1968/69 as he began to age and lose interest in the professionalism of basketball. The Philadelphia 76ers did beat the Boston Celtics in 1967, but in 1966 and 1968 the Celtics, not quite to the level of the Sixers.But in 1968 it was truly Russell that beat the Sixers, as he was not the heart and soul on the court, but was now it's head coach, which he became in 1967 after legend Red Auerbach retired. NBA Seattle Supersonics, player/head coach (1973-1977). Bill passed away with Jeannine by his side. Well, I was 9 years old, and I did what 9 year olds are supposed to. Bill Russell had a delayed emergence. Russell's life was marked by an uphill battle against racism and controversial actions and statements in response to racism. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 25, 2016. We don't remember a lot of the abuse that he had to put up with earlier in his career. NPR's Michel Martin speaks with director Sam Pollard about his new documentary Bill Russell: Legend, which is now streaming on Netflix. He stood side-by-side with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s, the height of the civil rights movement. Bill Russel biography facts, childhood, net worth and personal life present a complete rundown of the profile, career and life from childhood to date, of the 12-time All-Star and 5-time NBA MVP. The documentary features the last interview with Russell before his passing, as well as archived interviews throughout his life. Russell anchored a Boston Celtics Although his father was described on several occasions by many who knew him as an authoritative and firm personality, he worked hard as a cleaner and impacted into Bills life, helping him in his rise to stardom. . Never turned the trash cans over again.. All rights reserved. While his successful career in basketball is well-known to the world, some are curious to know about his personal life following his passing. He could care less, you know, about being someone that The ball went up, and Bob Pettit of the Hawks and I jumped for it. [December 2003]. Rose Swisher died aged 78 on September 11, 2014. Bill Russells Mom Changed His Life Forever By Making Him Fight 5 Guys In The Projects To Learn A Lesson. Jon Jones Reacts To Islam Makhachev Declaring Himself The Best Fighter In The World, Shavkat Rakhmonov Reacts To ESPN/UFC Commentator Laura Sanko Thirsting Over Him In Viral Video, Jon Jones First Shirtless Pic At Heavyweight Before UFC 285 Goes Viral, Ja Morants Lawyer, Agent Threaten Legal Recourse For Defamatory Report From The Washington Post, Another Glitch In The Matrix Has Occurred As A Bird Is Filmed Motionless In Mid-Air, Bengals Exec Sends Harsh Wake-Up Call To Teams Sniffing Around Tee Higgins. MVP All-Star Game (1963) after 19 points and 24 rebounds. He was also included in the All-NBA First Team thrice (1959, 1963, 1965), the All-NBA Second Team 8 times (1958, 19601962, 1964, 19661968), and the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 1969. Even as he won on the court, Russell, an outspoken backer of the Civil Rights Movement, experienced his struggles off of it. He was a marginal player until, while on a summer basketball tour he had been selected for as an afterthought, he realized that running and jumping could be used to mirror and counteract the flashy, creative scorers that routinely gave teams fits. Bill hasnt shared how he met his last wife, but he adored her. I mean, he had a lot of issues. In the wake of her passing he committed himself to his studies. He was assaulted by a group of guys that ran by. He defined the teams philosophy and its strategy. Rather than play for somebody else, Russell took over as a player-coach, steering the team to titles in 1968 and 1969. In college, the 6-foot 9-inch (2.06-metre) Russell blossomed, providing a defensive presence that helped lead USF to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in 1955 and 1956. Your login session has expired. Holds NBA Finals single-game record for most free throws attempted in one half (15, April 11, 1961) vs. St. Louis; most rebounds (40, March 29, 1960 vs. St. Louis and April 18, 1962 vs. Los Angeles); most rebounds by a rookie (32, April 13, 1967 vs. St. Louis); and most rebounds in a quarter (19, April 18, 1962 vs. Los Angeles). For the first time in the Bill Russell- Wilt Chamberlain rivalry Chamberlain could not say he did not have the team to beat the Celtics, although many contend that the Celtics were evenly match if not inferior in talent to their many rivals. His second wife, Dorothy "Didi" Anstett, was the 1968 Miss USA. Same thing happened during the seasons second road trip. She grabbed the keys to the house and grabbed me. 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. He didnt shut up and dribble. Russell married his first wife Rose in 1956, and the couple had their first child, William Jr., the year after. His talent did not immediately shine through. Why do you think it is that that part of his life doesn't seem to have gotten the same kind of attention as other athlete activists like the ones that you named, like Jim Brown, like people who - or even, gosh, even Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who's thankfully still with us. She is reportedly a legal and political analyst who graduated from Georgetown University and Harvard Law School. In the History of professional sports there has never been an athlete who has more accolades or championships, in other words Bill Russell was not only a champion, but he was perhaps the definition of a champion. All Rights Reserved. . Now the incident is under review. Bill Russell, one of the greatest Boston Celtics and NBA players ever, died, his family said Sunday. In 2011, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition for his services to basketball and his contribution to the civil rights movement in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. He had made great strides within the game of basketball, but the restless, conscientious Russell felt that there were bigger battles to fight. It's no conversation. Yet, he led the Celtics to the NBA championships in a victory over the Lakers and immediately announced his retirement from basketball as a coach and player. It seems weird that there hasn't been this kind of full feature-length treatment until now, given the impact that he had. It's titled, appropriately enough, "Bill Russell: Legend.". Russell anchored a Boston Celtics His But if those souvenir hounds had taken Russell up on the chance to sit with him for a meal, they might have heard about his obsession with golf. The Celtics who were supposedly way past their prime were led by Bill Russell to their eleventh championship, they were only the third team to repeat a championship, the first were the Minneapolis Lakers, and the second were the Boston Celtics. Inducted into the Sport in Society Hall of Fame, 2000. I say yes maam. Bill Russell achieved a lot during his life. Bill Russell, the great Boston Celtics center who died last summer at the age of 88, cuts a singular figure in the American sports firmament. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: There was a full house in Kiel Auditorium on that night in December 1956. He dealt with Boston bussing issues. Macauley was part of a solid offensive unit with Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman, but the team had a missing piece to the puzzle.As America would soon find out Bill Russell would be that missing piece. You know, one night, they came back to this house. He was a five-time NBA MVP, an 11-time NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics (twice as a coach), and hes a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a coach and a player. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 as a player and 2021 as a coach. His home was accosted on a few occasions, and he heard he would not get MVP because he was black from a reporter. At the age of 9 he moved to Oakland. The NBA legend was 88 years old at the time of his death. To help solve the child care crisis, new legislation would cap families costs and pay providers more, San Diego police want to power up some Smart Streetlights; add license plate readers as crime-fighting tool, Proposed bills could lead to more people being forced into mental health treatment, Demand for freshmen admission at UC San Diego drops for first time in roughly 20 years, Should backcountry builders fund city sidewalks and bike lanes? Accuracy and availability may vary. She represented the USA atMiss Universe 1968in July, where she placed fourth runner-up. The autograph-seekers almost always declined. Both Macauley and Hagan would eventually land in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, an indication of how highly Auerbach valued Russell. He played alongside star point guard Bob Cousy for a number of years on the Celtics. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Russell was married to his college girlfriend Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973, they had three children but then grew apart and divorced in 1977. The former Boston Celtics legend is an 11-time NBA champion and widely regarded as one of the best players to ever play the game. You'll get covered with chocolate. The Celtics went on to win 8 more back-to-back NBA championships winning five against the Lakers in the finals to set up one of the biggest rivalries in the NBA. Bill Russelll described the incident as one that changed my whole attitude sticking up for yourself. Until Michael Jordan he was almost unanimously acclaimed as the greatest player of all time, and some still think he is. Attended McClymonds High School in Oakland, California, Inducted into the ESPN Boston Hall of Fame in 2011 (inaugural class) with. He was married four times and had three children. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn commissions from purchases made on Amazon via our links. He later received a scholarship from the University of San Francisco. Outside the classroom, Russell began playing basketball. Corrections? During his three-year varsity career, in which he led the team to consecutive NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956, he averaged 20.7 points and 20.3 rebounds per game. WebBill Russell was an American former basketball coach and former professional basketball player who was universally acknowledged as one of the greatest American Russell immediately made an impact by improving the Celtics defence with his shot-blocking talent. The Celtics legend had four wives in his life, and married former Miss USA Dorothy Anstett four years after separating from Rose Swisher. At SportyTell.com, we strive for fairness and accuracy. However, it is reported that he lives with his wife Sara Marckx Russell in Washington State. He won five MVP awards, tied for second-most with Michael Jordan, one behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbars league record. This site uses cookies to serve you better. They are the only children Bill had. He was 88. 15 Episodes of Seinfeld That Teach Everything You Need To Know About Life, Read more sports articles on BroBible right here, 5-time NBA MVP Bill Russell shared a story from his childhood that he says changed his life forever, It took place right when he and his mother moved to the projects and he was attacked by a stranger, his mother then took charge of the situation. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, and in 2011 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He led the Boston Celtics to an astounding 11 Championships from 1957 to By the end of his career, however, Russell himself had come to see the turmoil of the 1960s as far more important than the silly little game he played for a living. Stand up for yourself. The premise was that it had to be difficult for Russell to live in such a place, to play for fans in such a city. In the long line of dominance the Boston Celtics would exercise over the NBA the most legendary years were in his final years. It was a breakthrough that would change not only his life but, in the long term, basketball itself. His early childhood was shaped by poor health, as the sickly Russell battled several different illnesses. As a kid, Russell spent hours in the library each day reading books about artistic techniques, studying paintings and understanding the importance of each individual brush stroke to the greater picture. So I think he wasn't just - he wasn't as vocal and he didn't have as much exposure as they did. Its impossible to tell the story of the NBA without also telling the story of Bill Russell. Bill Russell has been married on 4 different occasions but had never kept a marriage for up to 2 decades, the longest being 17 years (19561973) to a lady called But he was a very, you know, well-rounded human being who believed that it was not only a responsibility as a player, but the responsibility of an African American man. POLLARD: Yeah, because I think most people see him just as a great sports figure, a legend on the basketball court, and really didn't really dig into how complex his life was off the court. Currently, Russells estimated net worth is about $10 million. Frustratingly, his sheer basketball excellence made his actions not only excusable for fans but tolerated in a way that bordered on dismissive. Shedding light on his life achievements outside basketball, the statement read: But for all the winning, Bills understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life. It was a treasure for me to be around Bill and see how he viewed the world in all of its dimensions.. Bill Russells family announced his demise through a statement on Sunday, July 31. But by his senior year, his game had picked up enough to earn him a starting spot. You can swipe through the Instagram gallery below to see the videos and/or check out the full quotes below the Instagram post. However, they separated three years later in 1980. By continuing to use this website, you agree to our cookie and, Bill Russell Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics, Richa Ghosh Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics, Achraf Hakimi Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics, Kylie McDevitt Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics, Dosie (PURPLE KISS) Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics, Ireh (PURPLE KISS) Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics, Angela Rye Height, Weight, Age, Facts, Biography, Adam McArthur (YouTuber) Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics, He was one of the greatest rebounders in basketball history and had led the, At the fag end of his playing career with the, As of September 2020, he was tied with hockey legend Henri Richard for the record ofmost championship titles won (11) by an athlete in any major North American team sports league (including, As of September 2020, he was 1 of just 7 players in history to have completed the treble of winning an. Like almost all Southern towns and cities of that time, Monroe was very segregated and the Russells often struggled with racism in During his career, Russell supported the American civil rights movement, spoke out against the Vietnam War, and did much that, had it come from any lesser athlete, would have been cause for immediate controversy. Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory. He was a After a successful off-Broadway run, the production became the only one from that theater to ever become a film in 1973. 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. 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Bill Russell married his college Girlfriend Rose Swisher in 1956 and had one daughter named Karen Russell and two sons named William Russell Jr & Jacob Russell from the wedlock. Game Seven in the Finals was one of the most legendary ever played in the history of American sports. And I hope that one day, in the streets of Boston, children will look up at a statue built not only to Bill Russell the player, but Bill Russell the man.. The Greatest Food Debates Of All Time, Answered Pineapple On Pizza? Bill Russell Wiki/Biography. MARTIN: That was award-winning director Sam Pollard. Russell, outspoken and relentlessly intelligent when it came to matters of race, was not just the NBAs first Black superstar; as the Celtics quickly came to dominate the NBA, he also became an activist on par with Muhammad Ali. The family moved from Louisiana to Oakland during World War II due to employment opportunities for the blacks in the west at the time. The family of Bill Russell announced that he passed away on Sunday at the age of 88. Bill Russell is a retired American basketball player who played professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston Celtics. So why did you want to do this film and why now? He helped start the National Basketball Players Association. Due to the demise of his mother, Bills father decided to work in a steel factory in order to provide emotional support for his children. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You have entered an incorrect email address! This is just one of these examples. In 2010 Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the countrys highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama. In 1956 Bill Russell entered the NBA draft. He most likely would have led the league in blocked shots many times, but the NBA had not yet started keeping track of the statistic. The Celtics then lost to Los Angeles in the Forum in Game 5, and the Celtics returned to the Boston Garden in game 6 and won that contest. And he lived in Reading, Mass. He recorded a mean score of 20.7 points and 20.3 rebounds per game. Bill Russells daughter, Karen, was born in 1962. Bill Russell is survived by three children: Jacob, William Russell Jr, and Karen. The NBA great Bill Russell has died at age 88. Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich? Member, gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team (1956). Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. Russell used his popularity to fight for civil rights and help others who were in a similar situation. Have something to tell us about this article? Bill called out injustice with an unforgiving candor that he intended would disrupt the status quo, and with a powerful example that, though never his humble intention, will forever inspire teamwork, selflessness, and thoughtful change, it reads further. Hes still second on the NBAs all-time rebounding list, behind only Wilt Chamberlain, and will probably be in that spot forever since nobody has come remotely close to him in the last 50 years. And he became a major star at USF, went on to win the Olympic gold medal in Australia and then got drafted by the Celtics in '57. During his 13-year NBA career, Russell led the Boston Celtics to 11 championships - two as a player coach. In the fall of 1952, he tried out as a walk-on at the University of San Francisco and earned a scholarship. He was not ready for the coaching job, and did an all around bad job, sadly enough. But I think this documentary will reset the clock on that and understand Bill from the other perspective, besides being a phenomenal basketball legend. POLLARD: Yeah, I hope that they walk away understanding that he was not only a great basketball player, but he was also a great man and a complicated man. He supported Muhammad Ali when the fighter refused to go to Vietnam. Bill Russell has been married on 4 different occasions but had never kept a marriage for up to 2 decades, the longest being 17 years (19561973) to a lady called Rose. Russell was the first player to win an Olympic Gold Medal, an NBA Championship, and a collegiate championship. But the way she took care of it was; okay, youre going to fight every 1 of them. Russell capped his amateur career by leading the U.S. mens basketball team to the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. They were together from 1956 to 1973. Featured Image by Bill Russell / Instagram. After losing manager Red Auerbach to retirement in the 1966/67 season, Russell picked up the managerial position as a player-coach. Hailed as the greatest winner in sports, Basketball Hall of Fame center Bill Russell led the Boston Celtics to an unprecedented 11 championships in 13 seasons. Bills third wife was Marilyn Nault, whom he married in 1996. Over the next several decades he periodically came back to the game as a coach or as an executive, but his teams failed to win with the kind of regularity he enjoyed as a player. He won the NCAA in his finals and even earned recognition as a shot-blocker and defensive maestro. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 6 jersey across the entire league. This year, alongside Gail Goodrich and Happy Hairston, and a very deep bench, which included future Laker's Coach Pat Riley the Lakers looked to beat the Celtics for the first time in the Finals. Thats what I did, Russell said in 2009. His new documentary "Bill Russell: Legend" is streaming now on Netflix. However, Russell fought a long and tough battle off the court as well. Go back to Africa, you baboon. The 11-time NBA champion is survived by his wife Jeannine and two children. NBA Sacramento Kings, player/head coach (1987-1988). Their marriage lasted until her death in 2009. However, he still performed well as a player the following season and led the team to yet another NBA championship title. However, they divorced in 1973. And there was no hesitation on my part because I grew up in the '60s. Russell could very easily have never taken up basketball, much less gone on to become one of the sports immortals. Holds NBA Finals record for highest rebound per game average (29.5 rpg, 1959) and by a rookie (22.9 rpg, 1957). Please logout and login again. Bill Russell turns 88-years-old this February and has lived such an incredible life in the world of sports its almost hard to really wrap the brain around. Watch out, Pettit. Bill Russell's selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame for his coaching career was announced on May 16, 2021. When Russell was eight years old, his father moved the family to Oakland, California, where the job prospects were better. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. William Felton Russell was born Feb. 12, 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana. Who were in his career and 1969 Bill Russelll described the incident as that! Interview with Russell before his passing, as well ( NBA ) the... Occasions, and a collegiate championship fourth runner-up Finals and even earned recognition a. Association ( NBA ) for the Boston Celtics Legend is an 11-time NBA and... Shared how he met his last season came in 1968/69 as he began to bill russell family life! Picked up enough to earn him a starting spot was always focused on as a player and 2021 a! Took care of it was a full house in Kiel Auditorium on that night December... 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