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National tragedy struck on April 4, day of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. With eight of the ten starting players on Sixers and Celtics being black, both teams were in deep shock and there were calls to cancel the series. In 1956, Russell married his college sweetheart, Rose Swisher. 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. At 18 he went to college, at San Francisco, where he won two NCAA Championships in 1955 and 1956. The couple grew emotionally distant and divorced. [12] Russell averaged 16.6 points per game and a league-record average of 22.7 rebounds per game. In 1977, four years after his divorce from Rose Swisher, Russell married Dorothy Anstett, who was Miss USA 1968. [49] He ranks No. He reasoned that if Saperstein was too smart to speak with him, then he was too smart to play for Saperstein. In 1956 Bill Russell entered the NBA draft. 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 . In a 1980 poll of basketball writers, he was voted the greatest . [59], At the start of the 195758 NBA season, the Celtics won fourteen straight games and continued to succeed. Bill marched with Martin Luther King Jr. when he delivered his "I Have a Dream . He also served a three-season (196669) stint as player-coach for the Celtics, becoming the first black coach in the NBA and the first to win a championship. [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. It covered every area. [166] On June 15, 2017, Russell was announced as the inaugural recipient of the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award. I could always be myself with them and they were always there for me. [120] Perennially wary of what he long perceived as a racist city, Russell decided to make amends and gave his approval. When the reporter asked how, Russell responded: "Because the most important factor is respect. Russell used a copy as extra motivation and told his team to play a running game because in that case it was not the better but the more determined team that was going to win. Sportskeeda's best Risk-Free bets from legal Sportsbooks. [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. [115] He attended his 2021 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. Russell, who was sensitive to any racial prejudice, was enraged by the fact that owner Abe Saperstein would only discuss the matter with Woolpert. [152] He could score with putbacks and made mid-air outlet passes to point guard Bob Cousy for easy fast-break points. Bill Russell's legacy of lonely courage in the fight against hate Kevin Cullen Dan McGowan The Rhode Island Senate president's final words for Providence Mayor Elorza YOU'VE BEEN SELECTED We. [17] Shortly after his death in 2022, the NBA retired Russell's #6 jersey league-wide, making him the only player in NBA history to receive the honor. 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. 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,. 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. ", "Bill Russell, K.C. Bill Russell is a 74 years old American baseball player and coach from Monroe, Louisiana. K. C. Jones did not play for the Celtics until 1958 because of military service. He was convinced that the U.S. was a corrupt nation and that he was wasting his time playing something as superficial as basketball. . She graduated as an English Major from the University of Washington. 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. [119] In addition, Russell ran into financial trouble. [48] He was active in the Black Power movement and was among the African-American athletes and the one political leader who came together at the 1967 Cleveland Summit to support Muhammad Ali and his decision to refuse to be drafted. He is said to have made a conscious decision to put the team first and foremost, and not worry about individual achievements. Russell used his popularity to fight for civil rights and help others who were in a similar situation. Boston Celtics fans say Bill Russell was so much more than a basketball star. 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 US sport - and marched for. [49] Despite this, the Celtics were leading only 9795 with 34 seconds left when Russell closed out the game with several consecutive clutch plays. "[200], Russell was driven by "a neurotic need to win", as his Celtic teammate Tom Heinsohn observed. He made a free throw, blocked a shot by Sixers player Chet Walker, grabbed a rebound off a miss by Greer, and passed the ball to teammate Sam Jones, who scored to clinch the win. [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. She works as an attorney, corporate trainer, and political strategist, according to the Huffington Post. Over the course of his 13-year NBA career, Russell steered the club to 11 titles. [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. [142] By winning the 1956 NCAA championship with USF and the 1957 NBA title with the Celtics,[143] Russell became the first of only four players in basketball history to win an NCAA championship and an NBA championship back-to-back, the others being Henry Bibby, Magic Johnson, and Billy Thompson. [171] The art is by Ann Hirsch of Somerville, Massachusetts, in collaboration with Pressley Associates Landscape Architects of Boston. In 2014, after the unveiling of his statue at City Hall in Boston, Russell spoke a bit about his parents and what his life was like growing up. [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. [4] Decades later, Russell explained that his experiences hardened him against abuse of all kinds,[35] saying: "I never permitted myself to be a victim. Reserve forward Alex Hannum threw a long alley-oop pass to Pettit and Pettit's tip-in rolled indecisively on the rim for several seconds before rolling out again. Brown contacted Rochester owner Les Harrison and received an assurance that the Royals could not afford Russell, and they would draft Sihugo Green. 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. [13], Russell's life was marked by an uphill battle against racism and controversial actions and statements in response to racism. "[120] In December 2008, the We Are Boston Leadership Award was presented to Russell. The Lakers featured new recruit Chamberlain next to perennial stars Baylor and West, and were the favorites. Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. If you were too sheltered, Im afraid youd be too naive. He cherished fond memories of his childhood in the Park Cities, graduating from Highland Park High School in 1953. The two men did not speak to each other for more than twenty years until Russell met with Chamberlain and personally apologized. His family said on social media that Russell died on Sunday, July 31, 2022. In the piece, she explains how she experienced such privilege in her life at times, but how she was also met with periods of intense racism and sexism. [163], Of Russell, former NBA player and head coach Don Nelson said: "There are two types of superstars. If I looked at it objectively, detached myself, it would be a deficiency. [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. When the Sixers' Hall-of-Fame guard Hal Greer inbounded, Havlicek stole the ball, causing Celtics commentator Johnny Most to scream: "Havlicek stole the ball! Bill was born in Milltown, Tennessee on April 14, 1942. [182] Russell was married to Jeannine Russell at the time of his death. He later recalled: "To play good defense it was told back then that you had to stay flatfooted at all times to react quickly. I owe so much to him it's impossible to express. . She is a legal and political analyst who graduated from Georgetown University and Harvard Law School. [3] Russell is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Despite going through numerous struggles, he managed to stay strong and make the most out of the opportunity that was given to him. [156] Russell ranked No. When I started to jump to make defensive plays and to block shots, I was initially corrected, but I stuck with it, and it paid off. When I sent you to Harvard, I expected you to be able to do the same. [30], Combining the stature and shot-blocking skills of a center with the foot speed of a guard, Russell became the centerpiece of a USF team that soon became a force in college basketball. He tied the knot with childhood girlfriend Sherrill Hansen and they have son. Television Pundit and Lawyer Karen Russell is the only daughter of Bill Russell. And in basketball I respect a man for his ability, period. "[206] To teammates and friends, Russell was open and amicable; he was extremely distrusting and cold towards anyone else. His father gave up his trucking job and became a steelworker in order to be closer to his children. Russell played 48 games, averaging 14.7 points per game and a league-high 19.6 rebounds per game.