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. He opted for speed and marking from blind spots rather than man-marking; with this style, he could move to advance positions to help the attack and also run back to assist the defence. 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. You know, he didn't love the Boston fans. Bill was born in Louisiana in 1934. WebBill Russell was born in Monroe, Louisiana in 1934, to Katie and Charlie Louis Russell. 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. Dorothy Catherine Anstett was born on June 28, 1947, and was one of nine children of an aircraft plant worker. The Celtics legend had four wives during his life, and is now the focus of a Netflix documentary called Bill Russell: Legend. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the San Diego Union-Tribune. NBA legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell dies at 88 Then came the proving ground of Boston. 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. NBA Most Valuable Player (1958, 1961-1963, 1965). Who are Bill Russell's children? She married BillRussell in 1977. The couple got divorced in 1973. Bill Russell Death Reason Talking about his cause of death so he was very in for a long time and age was the factor also, however, everyone started paying him a tribute on the social media platform and started sending his family sympathy and condolence messages. You know, what - is there something in particular you're hoping people will draw from this film? His family said on social media that Russell died on Sunday, July 31, 2022. NBA 35th Anniversary All-Time Team (1980). Throughout his career, Bill Russell won 11 NBA championship rings. Bill Russell, the greatest defensive player of all time, has a special place in the NBAs Hall of Fame. This unlikely superstar came into the NBA as a center for the Boston Celtics and played for the team for his entire 13 years of career. 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.. (SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "BILL RUSSELL: LEGEND"). Bill Russell hated autographs. Although possessing a perfect basketball height and huge hands to aid his efficiency, Bill Russell initially had struggles in understanding the game. 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. 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. He was drafted second overall, by the St. Louis Hawks, but was traded to the Boston Celtics for Ed Macauley, in a deal spearheaded by Red Auerbach, the coach of the Boston Celtics. Saw no point to them. Watch out, Pettit. 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. This story was shared by Bill Russell and he discusses the first day of moving into new projects. He had such curiosity about human nature, about psychology, Branch said. The Greatest Food Debates Of All Time, Answered Pineapple On Pizza? While in Oakland he was very poor but became a In 1979, Russell teamed up with professional writers to publish the Second Wind book and also featured in a 1986 movie named The fix as Judge Ferguson. Bill Russell, byname of William Felton Russell, (born February 12, 1934, Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.died July 31, 2022), American basketball player who was the first outstanding defensive centre in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and one of the sports greatest icons. Bill Russell Wife, Children. Thats the lesson. He received as much as $100,001 annually, plus an extra $25,000 as a player-coach. Granted, it was in part because no one could deal with the moody Russell except Russell himself, but it still made him the first African American coach in NBA history, as well as the first to win a title when Boston took the 196768 championship. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. The NBA legend was a victim of racism, and not even his basketball fame helped him. Selected by the St. Louis (now Atlanta) Hawks as a territorial draft choice in 1954. A San Diego judge had a defendants 13-year-old daughter handcuffed. Russell's 6'9" frame also earned plenty of attention. Russell was grief-stricken by the death of his mother, whod been his biggest advocate and pushed him to work hard in school. But there was more to it than that: the white Heinsohn was simply a more attractive candidate for many voters. Still yet Russell was without a doubt one of the finest players of his day. I mean, he had a major chip on his shoulder. He suffered a financially depressed childhood and faced racial discriminations as a black in the southern state of Louisiana, United States. Considered one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history, William Felton Russell was born on February 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana. She's also provided commentary on the high-profile cases of NBA players like Kobe Bryant and Jayson Williams. NBA Boston Celtics, player/head coach (1966-1969). Bill Russell's selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame for his coaching career was announced on May 16, 2021. One imagines you could do any number of subjects at this stage of your career. He was married four times and had three children. Bill Russell attended the University of San-Francisco and played on the school team presumably due to his height advantage. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, who won 11 championships in 13 seasons with the team, | Born: February 12, 1934Played all 13 seasons with CelticsFive-time NBA MVPEleven-time NBA championNo. Named to NBA's 25th, 35th, 50th and 75th anniversary teamsTwelve-time NBA All-StarNamed Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 1968Induced into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on April 28, 1975Member of gold-medal winning US Olympic team in 1956 Or expensive cars with souped-up sound systems so he could blare the music of Laura Nyro, Janis Ian, or Crosby, Stills and Nash some of his favorites. During his college years, Bill competed in many sports besides basketball, including the high jump. Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Bill Russell, Birth Year: 1934, Birth date: February 12, 1934, Birth State: Louisiana, Birth City: Monroe, Birth Country: United States. MARTIN: So before we let you go, what's important to you? So why did you want to do this film and why now? Also coached the NBA's Seattle Supersonics and Sacramento Kings. POLLARD: Yeah, during the Boston bussing issue. In 2011, the United States ex-president, President Barack Obama honoured Bill Russell with thePresidential Medal of Freedomin favour of his sporting achievements as well as in thecivil rights movement. After his initial retirement from basketball as a player-coach, Russell worked as a commentator from 1970-73 then returned to basketball to coach the Seattle Supersonics. She is still very active and frequently appears on MSNBC and CNN, among many other media platforms. Karen graduated from Harward Law School and has dissected high-profile trials and national political issues. Like, how did he deal with all of that? I mean, we all know that when he became a Celtic, he became the lynchpin that began this dynasty of the Boston Celtics. In the wake of her passing he committed himself to his studies. Ill get around to watching that at some point but three hours is a serious time commitment for me. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn commissions from purchases made on Amazon via our links. "Here is a Black man from Oakland, surrounded by Black people most of his life," Pollard said. This was the first All-Star weekend since the death of 11-time champion, Hall of Fame player and Hall of Fame coach Bill Russell. He had represented the Boston Celtics in the NBA from 1956 to 1969 and was the central figure in the teams total domination of the league winning the NBA championship title 11 times (1957, 19591966, 1968, 1969). Associated With. She grabbed the keys to the house and grabbed me. 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. Russell was married three times. Russell led the US national team in aspects of points, recording an average14.1 points per game. Yeah. Boston Celtics fans say Bill Russell was so much more than a basketball star. The teams coach, Red Auerbach, coveted Russell as the missing piece to what he believed could be a championship roster. Bill was a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player, having won 11 championships during the course of his thirteen-year career. Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory. 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. She attended theUniversity of Washingtonwhere she majored in English but later found fame as a beauty queen and pageant titleholder. The world has many of them. There, his father initially worked as a truck driver and Bill Russell lost his mother at the age of 12. 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. Russell married his first wife Rose in 1956, and the couple had their first child, William Jr., the year after. Have a good day. Case in point: The apparent invasion of raccoons into Reading, Massachusetts, around 1958. He helped start the National Basketball Players Association. Updates? In 2013, Boston erected a significant statue of their legend, Bill Russell right outside the Boston City Hall Plaza. That story was part of a THREE-HOUR interview with Bill Russell that is preserved in the Library Of Congress. After his death he was interred in Lake View Cemetery in Seattle WA. Two-time All-Conference, State, District and American. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Off the court, he was a force in the fight for human In 1969 most of the fabled Celtics had long been gone or had recently retired. MARTIN: That was award-winning director Sam Pollard. NBA Sacramento Kings, player/head coach (1987-1988). The oldest son of Bill Russell, William Felton Russell Jr, who was named after the 11-time NBA champion, unfortunately passed away in 2016. Inducted into the Sport in Society Hall of Fame, 2000. Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. The Celtics dynasty retooled over the years between 1956 and 1969, but the one constant was Russell. NBA 25th Anniversary All-Time Team (1970). Until Michael Jordan he was almost unanimously acclaimed as the greatest player of all time, and some still think he is. Like, we certainly know, when it comes to Jackie Robinson, you know, the abuse that was directed at him. This article was created by a combination of a few writers and editors from Sporty Tell. Former Basketball coach, Former Professional Basketball Player. The Celtics won a title in his rookie year, and he became the leagues first African American superstar, though not its first Black player (who was Earl Lloyd in 1956). That same year, in the NBA draft, the Boston Celtics orchestrated a deal with the St. Louis Hawks and traded for the draft rights to the young center. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Bill Russells family announced his demise through a statement on Sunday, July 31. His mind was bigger than basketball, author Taylor Branch, who spent about a year living with Russell near Seattle in the 1970s while working with him on a book, said Sunday. Its impossible to tell the story of the NBA without also telling the story of Bill Russell. He married again Dorothy Anstett (Miss USA 1968) in 1977. He led the Boston Celtics to an astounding 11 Championships from 1957 to In 1966 Wilt Chamberlain was traded from the Golden State warriors to his new hometown Philadelphia 76ers. Like almost all Southern towns and cities of that time, Monroe was very segregated and the Russells often struggled with racism in He was born in rural Louisiana. Only Russell remained of the fabled Boston Celtics, except for the emerging superstar John Havlichek, and aging star Sam Jones. He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. Russell did not create the first basketball dynasty, but to date, through Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, Bill Russell has one more championship than any other basketball player.Bill Russell was born in Monroe, Louisiana in 1934, to Katie and Charlie Louis Russell. Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in the history of American sports, died Sunday. 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. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). William Felton Russell was born Feb. 12, 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana. Thats what I did, Russell said in 2009. He was then married to Dorothy Anstett from 1977 to 1980 and Marilyn Nault Bills third wife was Marilyn Nault, whom he married in 1996. Go back to Africa, you baboon. Holds the NBA single-game record for most rebounds in a half (32) vs. Philadelphia on Nov. 16, 1957. She went on to win theMiss Washington USA1968 crown title. NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996). His home was accosted on a few occasions, and he heard he would not get MVP because he was black from a reporter. She is still alive today. Also at the end of the game Wilt Chamberlain was taken out of the game by unpopular coach Butch van Breda Kolff. 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