He married Rose Swisher, his college sweetheart, in 1956. Russells Celtics ruled the roost at a time when the minuscule number of teams (the NBA consisted of eight or nine franchises for the majority of his career) made for a greatly condensed talent pool, and a combination of integration and improved scouting brought on an unprecedented rush of new stars. 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. The statement draws attention to his achievements and contributions outside the field over the years. 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. This site uses cookies to serve you better. Bill Russell, a towering figure in the NBA and in American sports history, died at 88 on Sunday, his family announced. He missed out on the NBAs Rookie of the Year award, ostensibly because teammate Tom Heinsohn had played the entire season whereas Russell had missed time as a result of his participation in the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games (where he helped the U.S. mens basketball team win a gold medal). He didnt shut up and dribble. 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. Its impossible to tell the story of the NBA without also telling the story of Bill Russell. Despite going through numerous struggles, he managed to stay strong and make the most out of the opportunity that was given to him. Russells impact was immediate. He is a best-selling author and thirty years after he won he remained a recognizable face and a legend. .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, The Man Behind the First All-Black Basketball Team, 8 Times Brothers Have Faced Off in a Championship, Every Black Quarterback to Play in the Super Bowl, Soccer Star Christian Atsu Survived an Earthquake. He was 88 years old. The couple divorced in 1973. He would not let his defeat in 1967 keep him down. Born on Feb. 12, 1934, William Felton Russell spent his earliest years in Monroe, Louisiana, before his family moved west during World War II, ultimately landing in Oakland, California. Bill was born to Katie and Charles Russell. But the Celtics kept winning, and he remained the engine that made them go. He led the Boston Celtics to an astounding 11 Championships from 1957 to But I think this documentary will reset the clock on that and understand Bill from the other perspective, besides being a phenomenal basketball legend. And I'm just going to play a short clip about that. The NBA great Bill Russell has died at age 88. She grabbed the keys to the house and grabbed me. MARTIN: I have to tell you, you've done so many things - produced and directed and edited award-winning feature films and documentaries. Best Known For: 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. MARTIN: Which, again, it just seems interesting that we don't necessarily put him in the same breath as those other kind of prominent athlete activists, you know, like Muhammad Ali. Stand up for yourself. Bill hasnt shared how he met his last wife, but he adored her. While studying at the McClymonds High School, he was introduced to basketball as he participated in the school team. We go back to our place and Im crying. In the 1961/62 season, Bill Russell recorded his career highest score by an average of 18.9 points and 23.6 rebounds per game; he also scored 30 points and 40 rebounds in the finals helping the Celtics to defeat a rugged Lakers side. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. In 2013, Boston erected a significant statue of their legend, Bill Russell right outside the Boston City Hall Plaza. He retired in 1969 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame six years later. Bill Russells first wife was Rose Swisher, whom he married on December 9, 1956. The relationship was broken apart in controversy because of Anstetts color. Five times he was named the NBAs Most Valuable Player, and his 21,620 rebounds are second only to Chamberlains career mark. Please logout and login again. 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. This article was created by a combination of a few writers and editors from Sporty Tell. Holds NBA Finals record for highest rebound per game average (29.5 rpg, 1959) and by a rookie (22.9 rpg, 1957). When Russell was 10, his father, Charlie, fed up with trying to navigate a racially charged South, moved his family across the country to Oakland, California, where he found work at a shipyard. So how did he deal with it? While in Oakland he was very poor but became a skillful basketball player. Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. Featured Image by Bill Russell / Instagram. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Bill was born in Louisiana in 1934. Russell would not stand for racism in sports, which was ironic, given Bostons historical notoriety in that department. She was born on January 20, 1962. Russell went to the police, who surmised that raccoons must be the culprits. I didnt know what she was going to do. But above all else, Russell was basketballs ultimate winner. Now the incident is under review. Reflecting on the legacy of Celtics great Bill Russell Russells example helped shape the generations that followed him. NBA Sacramento Kings, player/head coach (1987-1988). In the wake of her passing he committed himself to his studies. During his college years, Bill competed in many sports besides basketball, including the high jump. They were together from 1956 to 1973. There, his father initially worked as a truck driver and Bill Russell lost his mother at the age of 12. Named Russell William Wagner at birth, when he decided to become a classical music composer, he dropped his last nameas it already "was taken" by Richard Wagner. He would return and defeat the Sixers in 1968, in a hotly contested Conference Final series, and easily defeat the Lakers in the Finals. NBA Most Valuable Player (1958, 1961-1963, 1965). He helped the team to the play-offs and his shot-blocking abilities were efficient in the NBA final against the St. Louis Hawks which the Celtics narrowly won. 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. His autobiography, Second Wind: The Memoirs of an Opinionated Man (cowritten with Taylor Branch), was published in 1979. As at 2020, Bill Russell is married to Jeannine Russell and the couple appears frequently together on his Instagram. Doesnt matter whether you won or lost. WebBill Russell Legend on DVD - Both Episodes The life and career of Hall of Fame NBA player Bill Russell is celebrated in the documentary Bill Russel: Legend. On the court, Russell was a force to be reckoned with a champion who sacrificed himself for his teammates and love of basketball. Bill Russell: Legend is a new two-part Netflix documentary that covers the Boston greats triumphs on the court, and activism off of it. WHO IS KAREEM ABDUL JABBARS EX WIFE? Like, how did he deal with all of that? NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996). He is an American by nationality and has a belief in the Catholic Christian religion. On the day of Bill Russells private funeral, NBA announces its greatest honor: the permanent retirement of No. Celtics's all-time leading rebounder (21,620, 22.5 rpg) in 963 games; second best in history. Russell used this mindset while on the court and in Rose and Bill were college sweethearts and were together for much of Bills NBA success. He was assaulted by a group of guys that ran by. MARTIN: So before we let you go, what's important to you? From his early childhood years, Williams Jr. was fascinated by trucks, and that is why he pursued his passion of being a driver. And he learned basketball when he went to Oakland. Bill Russell died at the age of 88 on July 31, 2022, in Mercer Island, Washington, United States. He was born in rural Louisiana. 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. Russell is a resident of Mercer Island, Washington where he stays with his wife. Cowboys for Trump cofounder Couy Griffin has been found not guilty of a misdemeanor charge of failing to register a political group and provide financial disclosures at a trial in southern New Mexico, Former President Barack Obama is marking the retirement of the South Carolina woman credited with popularizing the chant Fired up, ready to go!, Top diplomats from the worlds major industrialized and developing nations have opened what are expected to be contentious talks dominated by Russias war in Ukraine and Chinas moves to boost its global influence, Authorities say a central Florida man has been arrested after fatally shooting his teenage daughter and three other people, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to strengthen state control over agriculture and make all available efforts to increase grain production, as the country faces a worsening food shortage, The man convicted of killing eight people in a terrorist attack on a Manhattan bike path declined to testify in the death penalty phase of his trial, just as he had before the jury returned guilty verdicts, Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSign Up For Our NewslettersSite Map, Copyright 2023, The San Diego Union-Tribune |, FILE - Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell stands court side during a tribute in his honor in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks in Boston, Nov. 1, 2013. This season every NBA team is wearing the No.6 on the front of their jerseys to honor the great mans legacy. 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. But there was more to it than that: the white Heinsohn was simply a more attractive candidate for many voters. It was a breakthrough that would change not only his life but, in the long term, basketball itself. He was represented by Russell Spielman, Manager and Booking Agent, GSE Worldwide, Melville, Long Island, New York, United States. Yeah. 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. Nbas Most Valuable Player ( 1958, 1961-1963, 1965 ) products back. Through numerous struggles, he managed to stay strong and make the Most out of NBA! 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