2. [102] In the Eastern Division Finals of the 1968 NBA playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers had the better record than Boston and were the favorites. [196], In 1966, The New York Times wrote that "Russell's main characteristics are pride, intelligence, an active and appreciative sense of humor, a preoccupation with dignity, a capacity for consideration once his friendship or sympathy has been aroused, and an unwillingness to compromise whatever truths he has accepted. [195] Russell also had a shoe designed by Bristol Manufacturing Corporation in 1966, the Bill Russell Professional Basketball Shoe. "Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate teammate, and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever," Silver added. [14] In 2011, Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments on the court and in the civil rights movement. 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. #ESPYsABC #ArthurAsheAward @NBA @espn @celtics @BleacherReport @SLAMonline @BostonGlobe @ESPYS pic.twitter.com/AybfEZOzAb, TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) May 30, 2019, SWEET . 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. [151] In 2009, Russell's erstwhile Knicks opponent Bill Bradley wrote in The New York Times Book Review that Russell "was the smartest player ever to play the game [of basketball]". [49][89], In the 196364 NBA season, the Celtics posted a league-best 5822 record in the regular season. Russell's stint with the Kings was considerably shorter, his last assignment ending when the Kings went 1741 to begin the 198788 NBA season. I could hear anything, I could see anything, and nothing mattered. He's the guy who whipped us psychologically. [15], Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, was one of the founding inductees into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007. Karen appears frequently on CNN, MSNBC, and TruTV as a legal and political analyst. 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. Boston then beat the Los Angeles Lakers 42 in the 1968 NBA Finals, giving Russell his tenth title in twelve years. "[152] In the book, Russell wrote: "Whenever I leave the Celtics locker room, even Heaven wouldn't be good enough because anywhere else is a step down With Red [Auerbach] and Walter Brown, I was the freest athlete on the planet. The two men did not speak to each other for more than twenty years until Russell met with Chamberlain and personally apologized. This attitude contributed to his bad rapport with fans and journalists. [14][190] The news was announced in a Twitter post by his family. "[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. Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. 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. [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. [56] In previous years, the Celtics had been a high-scoring team but lacked the defensive presence needed to close out tight games. Russell also ignored Heinsohn's request for an autograph on behalf of his cousin and openly said to Heinsohn that he deserved half of his $300 Rookie of the Year check. Auerbach, Red and John Feinstein. It covered every area. 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. [19], During World War II, the Second Great Migration began, as large numbers of blacks were moving to the West to look for work there. UCLA Bruins coach John Wooden called Russell "the greatest defensive man I've ever seen". By Bay City News and NBC Bay Area staff Published July 31, 2022 Updated on August 1, 2022 at 1:20 am. [34] Even after he became a star with the Celtics, Russell was the victim of racial abuse. The most prolific winner in NBA history, Russell was the centerpiece of. 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. 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. Bill Russell got married to his girlfriend, Rose Swisher in the year 1956. Be the first one to comment on this story. [112] His No. Together, the longtime couple are also grandparents to seven children, including Kate's kids, Ryder Robinson, Bingham Hawn Bellamy, and Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa; Oliver's kids, Bodhi Hawn Hudson,. [159] In 2009, Slam named him the third best player of all-time behind Jordan and Chamberlain. "Bill's wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you . When he attempted to leave and find a different station, the attendant stuck a shotgun in his face and threatened to kill him if he did not stay and wait his turn. Russell used his popularity to fight for civil rights and help others who were in a similar situation. The couple grew emotionally distant and divorced. The couple got divorced in 1973. Bill Cosby's daughter Ensa was buried at the comedian's family compound outside Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts on Wednesday. As a child, he witnessed how his parents were victims of racial abuse, and the family eventually moved into government housing projects to escape the daily torrent of bigotry. [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. [50] He had the option to skip the tournament and play a full season for the Celtics, but he was determined to play in the Olympics. The NBA great Bill Russell has died at age 88. Bill Russell passed away peacefully at age 88 Sunday with his wife Jeannine by his side, according to his family; The NBA legend played for the Boston Celtics from 1956 to 1969 [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. The champion marched with Martin Luther King for civil rights. Rose Swisher (1956-1973) - Bill began dating his college acquaintance Rose Swisher in 1956, his senior year in college. ", "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', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Russell&oldid=1134316357, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 18 January 2023, at 02:15. "[164] In 2000, his longtime teammate Tom Heinsohn described both Russell's stature and his uneasy relationship with Boston more earthily, saying: "Look, all I know is the guy came to Boston and won 11 championships in 13 years, and they named a bleeping tunnel after Ted Williams. In 1956, Russell married his college sweetheart, Rose Swisher. The teams split the first six games. Her later father, Bill . BOSTON (AP) Bill Russell never had to find his voice as an activist. 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). [56] Russell never had to work part-time. He was 88. The Internal Revenue Service discovered that Russell owed $34,430 in tax money and put a lien on his house. [222] He thanked Chamberlain for taking him to the limit and "making [him] a better player", and the crowd for "allowing [him] to be a part of their lives. In 1975, he was inducted into the basketball hall of fame. [49] Despite this, the Celtics were leading only 9795 with 34 seconds left when Russell closed out the game with several consecutive clutch plays. BOSTON (AP) Bill Russell, the NBA great who anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13 years the last two as the first Black head coach in any major U.S. sport and. Bill Russell (L) greets Jimmy Butler at the NBA All-Star Game 2018 at Staples Center on February 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Russell's Celtics went 5737 in the regular season against Chamberlain's teams and 2920 in the playoffs, Chamberlain's losing seven of the eight series. [49] Bill Simmons has estimated that Russell had between 8 and 15 blocks per game in the playoffs. At one point, the article reads, The girl [Dorothy] listed as one of lifes ambitions the chance to teach high school for mentally retarded children. In the year 1977, Bill got the divorce from his wife and married, Miss USA named, Dorothy Anstett. [71][72] In the 1960 NBA Finals, the Celtics outlasted the Hawks 43 in the series and won their third championship in four years. "[36], Racism shaped his lifelong paradigm as a team player, about which Russell said: "At that time it was never acceptable that a black player was the best. 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." Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities, and he led the NBA in rebounds four times, had a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds,[12] and remains second all time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. [56] This skill allowed the other Celtics to play their men aggressively; if they were beaten, they knew that Russell was guarding the basket. [69] 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. 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. @NBATV before Game 6 of 2013 #NBAFinals. "[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. Russell also had seven regular-season games with 40 or more rebounds, the NBA Finals record for highest rebound per game average (29.5, 1959) and by a rookie (22.9, 1957). [198][199] Russell's motto became: "If you disrespect that line, you disrespect me. 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? 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