bill russell family life

[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. [48], The Harlem Globetrotters invited Russell to join their exhibition basketball squad. [113] His No. The Celtics won Game 4 in an upset, but the Hawks prevailed in Games 5 and 6, with Pettit scoring 50 points in the deciding Game 6. [156] In 1970, The Sporting News named Russell the "Athlete of the Decade". "[27] In an autobiographical account, Russell said that while on a California High School All-Stars tour, he became obsessed with studying and memorizing other players' moves, e.g., footwork such as which foot they moved first on which play, as preparation for defending against them, which included practicing in front of a mirror at night. [184] Russell was married to Jeannine Russell at the time of his death. WebEarly Life. I'm certainly going to ask Maurice Podoloff." Bill Russell Bill Russell was born on 12 February 1934. [32] Russell became one of several big men who have brought about NCAA rule changes. He led USF to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, including a string of 55 consecutive victories, and a 26-point, 27-rebound, 20-block performance in one game. [50] Despite this, the Celtics were leading only 9795 with 34 seconds left when Russell closed out the game with several consecutive clutch plays. Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. [57] This skill allowed the other Celtics to play their men aggressively; if they were beaten, they knew that Russell was guarding the basket. A look at Bill Russells family life Bill was born to Katie and Charles Russell. [149][150], In his first NBA full season (195758), Russell became the first player in NBA history to average more than 20 rebounds per game for an entire season, a feat he accomplished ten times in his thirteen seasons. In California, life for the Russell family proved rough. In the last play, Sam Jones used a triple screen by Bailey Howell, Larry Siegfried, and Havlicek to hit a buzzer beater that equalized the series. Athletically awkward at first, Russell struggled to find playing time on the team at McClymonds High School in Oakland. Woolpert emphasized defense and deliberate half-court play, which favored Russell's exceptional defensive skills. [158] Russell ranked No. [5] Russell was elected to one NBA All-Defensive First Team. [5], On February 5, 1960, Russell had 23 points, 51 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 124100 win over the Syracuse Nationals. This was in contrast to other Celtics who had to work during the offseason to maintain their standard of living; Tom Heinsohn sold insurance, Gene Guarilia was a professional guitar player, Cousy ran a basketball camp, and Red Auerbach invested in plastics and a Chinese restaurant. [194] When Wilt Chamberlain became the first NBA player to earn $100,000 in salary in 1965 (equivalent to $859,873 in 2021), Russell went to Auerbach and demanded a $100,001 salary, which he promptly received. [5] In addition, Russell holds the NBA Finals single-game record for most rebounds (40, March 29, 1960, vs. St. Louis, and April 18, 1962, vs. Los Angeles), most rebounds in a quarter (19, April 18, 1962, vs. Los Angeles), and most consecutive games with 20 or more rebounds (15 from April 9, 1960 April 16, 1963). Bill Russell [21] In delivering a eulogy for Chamberlain, Russell stated that he did not consider them to be rivals, but rather to have a competition, and that the pair would "be friends through eternity". [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. Bill Russell started playing for the Celtics in the 1956-57 season in December. 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. The NCAA had previously prohibited goaltending in response to George Mikan (1945) and later banned the dunk shot due to Lew Alcindor (1967), although the latter rule was later repealed. Nothing went on outside the borders of the court. The first [NBA organization] to hire a black [head] coach was the Boston Celtics, and they've had at least five [black head-coaches] over the years. You are a Negro. I was the MVP at the Final Four. "[5][122] On November 3, 1979, Russell hosted Saturday Night Live, in which he appeared in several sports-related sketches. [5], In the 196465 NBA season, the Celtics won a league-record 62 games and Russell averaged 14.1 points and 24.1 rebounds per game, winning his second consecutive rebounding title and his fifth MVP award. "[66], In the 195859 NBA season, Russell averaged 16.7 points per game and 23.0 rebounds per game. 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. "[102] The game still ended on a high note for Russell. [137] During halftime of the 2009 NBA All-Star Game, Celtics captains Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce presented Russell a surprise birthday cake for his 75th birthday. Even as he won on the court, Russell, an outspoken backer of the Civil Rights Movement, experienced his struggles off of it. NBA legend Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and the first Black head coach in the league, passed away peacefully Sunday, 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! The Celtics won 52 gamesa league record. "[5] After the Division Finals, the Celtics had an easier time in the NBA Finals,[96] winning 41 against the Los Angeles Lakers. (embedded photo)", "Rare Photos of Bill Russell (third photo in gallery", "Eight players who have won NCAA, NBA, and Olympic titles", "2003 draft eventually may be best in history", "Philadelphia Warriors vs Boston Celtics Box Score, January 1, 1957", "Russell of Celtics Violates N.B.A. Bill Russell married his college sweetheart Rose Swisher in 1956. In its announcement, the WCC stated: "The 'Russell Rule' requires each member institution to include a member of a traditionally underrepresented community in the pool of final candidates for every athletic director, senior administrator, head coach and full-time assistant coach position in the athletic department. [213] 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. "[99], Boston's championship streak ended at eight in his first full season as head coach when Chamberlain's Philadelphia 76ers won a record-breaking 68 regular-season games and were the favorites heading into the 1967 NBA playoffs, where they beat the Celtics 41 in the Eastern Division Finals. [95] In Game 5, Russell contributed with 12 points, 28 rebounds, and 7 assists, plus 10 blocks and 6 steals; blocks and steals became officially recorded statistics in the 197374 NBA season. Cooper, the Boston Celtics will never embarrass you.' He was never embraced by Boston fans in the way his white teammates were. [41] While blocked shots were not a recorded basketball statistic during Russell's career, he averaged 8.1 blocks in 135 games, as Boston writers often attempted to tally his blocks. His time as a non-player coach was lackluster; he led the struggling SuperSonics into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, but Russell's defensive, team-oriented Celtics mindset did not mesh well with the team, and he left in 1977 with a 162166 record. I averaged over 20 points and over 20 rebounds, and I was the only guy in college blocking shots. See the events in life of Bill Russell in Chronological Order, (One of the Greatest Basketball Players of All Time). Equally skilled at grabbing rebounds, he was just one of the only two players to have made more than 50 rebounds in a single game and had a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. In an interview with ESPN, Russell said he wanted the NFL players to know they were not alone.[226]. August 1, 2022 NBA reacts to The couple actually tied the knot on December 9, 1956, with Bill soon making it clear he owed a vast majority of his ambition, compassion, drive, and success to his [56] Russell's first Celtics game came on December 22, 1956, against the St. Louis Hawks, led by star forward Bob Pettit, who would go on to hold several all-time scoring records. [52] During that same draft, Boston also drafted guard K. C. Jones, Russell's former USF teammate, and managed to draft three future Basketball Hall of Famers: Russell, Jones, and Heinsohn. [165], Of Russell, former NBA player and head coach Don Nelson said: "There are two types of superstars. In these eleven games, Russell averaged 18.3 points and 29.4 rebounds. Bill Russell "[110] This supported the opinion of many white fans that Russell, who was by then the highest-paid Celtic, was egotistical, paranoid, and hypocritical. [123] Russell also wrote books, usually written as a joint project with a professional writer, including 1979's Second Wind,[124] and played Judge Roger Ferguson in the Miami Vice episode "The Fix" (aired March 7, 1986). It covered every area. I could hear anything, I could see anything, and nothing mattered. [50] Bill Simmons has estimated that Russell had between 8 and 15 blocks per game in the playoffs. [117], After retiring as a player, Russell had stints as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics (19731977) and Sacramento Kings (19871988). 1934: Bill Russell is born in Louisiana Charles and Katie Russell welcome William Felton Russell on Feb. 12 in Monroe, a town in north Louisiana. [30] Woolpert's choice of how to deploy his players was unaffected by their skin color. He replied: "Yes." Gottlieb stated: "Our Paul Arizin went underneath for a simple backboard lay-up, and as the ball traveled down towards the basket, Russell batted it away. On the road it was not uncommon for him to have to sleep in a different hotel from the one the rest of the club used. [44] Like fellow world-class high-jumpers of that era, Russell did not use the Fosbury Flop technique with which all high jump world records after 1978 have been set. Avery Brundage, head of the International Olympic Committee, argued that Russell had already signed a professional sport contract and was no longer an amateur sportsman, but Russell prevailed. While Saperstein spoke to Woolpert in a meeting, Globetrotters assistant coach Harry Hanna tried to entertain Russell with jokes, but he was livid after this snub and declined the offer. As Chamberlain was often defended by Celtics backup center Wayne Embry, the press speculated that Russell was worn down. [224] 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. [158], On August 11, 2022, it was announced that Russell's No. [14][192] The news was announced in a Twitter post by his family. In 1954, he became the first coach of a major college basketball squad to start three African-American players: K. C. Jones, Hal Perry, and Russell. One of the most important moments of his life was when he met with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta and took part in the pivotal March on Washington in 1963. 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. [29] When DeJulio offered Russell a scholarship, he eagerly accepted. Born to William Bill Russell and his college sweetheart Rose Swisher a year into their marriage (December 9, 1956) on November 2, 1957, William Bill Felton Hall of Fame basketball center Bill Russell led the University of San Francisco to consecutive NCAA titles before starting his pro career with the Boston Celtics in 1956. [1] The Celtics won the 1966 NBA Finals and their eighth consecutive title. 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 was 88 years old. [209] The close relationship ended after Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals, when Chamberlain injured his knee with six minutes left and was forced to leave the game. [159][160] In 2007, he was voted the third best center of all-time by ESPN behind Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain. Bill Russell

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