[131][132] In 2008, Russell received the Golden Plate Award of the Academy of Achievement. [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. Hailed as the greatest team player on the greatest team of all time, Bill Russell led the Boston Celtics in the longest championship streak in U.S. sports history. Chamberlain often invited Russell over for Thanksgiving dinner; at Russell's place, conversation mostly concerned Russell's electric trains. He is said to have made a conscious decision to put the team first and foremost, and not worry about individual achievements. [80] As the game was tied, Russell had the daunting task of defending against Baylor with little frontline help: Loscutoff, Heinsohn, and Satch Sanders, the three best Celtics forwards, had fouled out. Television Pundit and Lawyer Karen Russell is the only daughter of Bill Russell. I was the MVP at the Final Four. [29] When DeJulio offered Russell a scholarship, he eagerly accepted. [41], In his career, Russell won five NBA MVP awards (1959, 196163, 1965),[5] which is tied with Michael Jordan for second all-time behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's six awards, and is at No. [86] The Celtics reached the 1963 NBA Finals,[87] where they again defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, this time in six games. During a press conference, Russell was asked: "As the first Negro head coach in a major league sport, can you do the job impartially without any racial prejudice in reverse?" [109] According to Taylor, Russell discounted the fact that his career was facilitated by white people who were proven anti-racists: his high school coach George Powles, who encouraged him to play basketball, his college coach Phil Woolpert, who integrated USF basketball, Celtics coach Red Auerbach, who made him the first black NBA coach and is regarded as an anti-racist pioneer for his no color barrier, and Celtics owner Walter A. [4] In his USF years, Russell took advantage of his relative lack of bulk to develop a unique defensive style: instead of purely guarding the opposing center, he used his quickness and speed to play help defense against opposing forwards and aggressively challenge their shots. Of the book, Bill Bradley wrote for The New York Times Book Review that "Bill Russell is a private, complex man, but on the subject of his love of Red Auerbach and his Celtic teammates, he's loud and clear. Career, Awards, and Achievements [14][190] The news was announced in a Twitter post by his family. 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." [5] He was also known as a fine passer and pick-and-roll setter, featured a decent left-handed hook shot, and finished strong on alley oops. Russell's daughter, Karen, is a. He said: "The Celtics were the first [NBA basketball] team to draft a black player, period: a guy named Chuck Cooper from Duquesne. That did not happen My junior year in college, I had what I thought was the one of the best college seasons ever. [109], For most of his career, Russell and his perennial opponent Wilt Chamberlain were close friends. In 1977, four years after his divorce from Rose Swisher, Russell married Dorothy Anstett, who was Miss USA 1968. In 1975, he was inducted into the basketball hall of fame. [119] In addition, Russell ran into financial trouble. In addition, Auerbach had already used his NBA territorial pick to acquire talented forward Tom Heinsohn. [19] While there, they fell into poverty and Russell spent his childhood living in a series of public housing projects. [56] Russell had a more cordial relationship with many of his teammates with the notable exception of Heinsohn, his old rival and fellow rookie. Jacob H. Russell was born on July 6, 1959. [140], Russell is one of the most successful and decorated athletes in North American sports history. [107], Days later, 30,000 Celtics fans cheered their returning heroes. And in basketball I respect a man for his ability, period. In the letter she wrote for The New York Times in 1987, Karen Russell said her family came home from a three-day weekend one night to find their house robbed and vandalized. Her later father, Bill . [189] He was issued a citation and released, and the Transportation Security Administration indicated it would levy a civil penalty, which would be between $3,000 and $7,500. [56] He also became famous for his shot-blocking skills and pundits called his blocks "Wilsonburgers", referring to the Wilson NBA basketballs he "shoved back into the faces of opposing shooters". Russell articulated these views with a measure of self-criticism, saying: "I consider this a deficiency in myselfmaybe. He was born on November 2, 1957 and worked for Cox Trucking for several years. From the humblest of beginnings, Russell went on to lead each and every one of his basketball teams to Championships two California State High School Championships, two back-to-back NCAA titles, a Gold . One of his highest jumps occurred at the WCR, where he achieved a mark of .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}6feet 9+14inches (2.06m);[43] at the meet, Russell tied Charlie Dumas, who would later in the year win gold in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia for the United States and become the first person to high-jump 7 feet (2.13m). [48], In the draft, Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach set his sights on Russell, thinking his defensive toughness and rebounding prowess were the missing pieces the Celtics needed. At 18 he went to college, at San Francisco, where he won two NCAA Championships in 1955 and 1956. Dorothy, according to a 1968 Associated Press article, was one of nine children of an aircraft plant worker. I owe so much to him it's impossible to express. 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's family wrote on social media Sunday morning announcing the NBA legend . [156], On August 11, 2022, it was announced that Russell's No. [120] Perennially wary of what he long perceived as a racist city, Russell decided to make amends and gave his approval. [68] Both men awed onlookers with "nakedly awesome athleticism",[68] and while Chamberlain outscored Russell 30 to 22, the Celtics won 115106, and the match was called a "new beginning of basketball". [49] After the game, Russell went over to the distraught West, who had scored 42 points and was named the only NBA Finals MVP in history from the losing team, clasped his hand and tried to soothe him. [163], Of Russell, former NBA player and head coach Don Nelson said: "There are two types of superstars. [187] Russell was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, having been initiated into its Gamma Alpha chapter while a student at University of San Francisco. Tune in July 10, this is a special honor! He included the picture below. [156] Russell ranked No. [179] In 1977, he married Dorothy Anstett, Miss USA of 1968;[179] they divorced in 1980. However, it is reported that he lives with his wife Sara Marckx Russell in Washington State. Russell's stint with the Kings was considerably shorter, his last assignment ending when the Kings went 1741 to begin the 198788 NBA season. [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. Russell. [93], In the 1965 NBA playoffs, the Celtics played the Eastern Division Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that had traded for Chamberlain. [70] Boston won a then-record 59 regular-season games, including a then-record tying 17-game win streak. [71][72] In the 1960 NBA Finals, the Celtics outlasted the Hawks 43 in the series and won their third championship in four years. (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. The Hall of Famer was 88. In an interview with ESPN, Russell said he wanted the NFL players to know they were not alone. August 2, 2022. Russell played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. His family said on social media that Russell died on Sunday, July 31, 2022. He was born on October 21, 1948 in Monroe, Louisiana as William Felton Russell. [103], In Game 7, 15,202 Philadelphia fans witnessed a home-team 10096 defeat, making it the first time in NBA history a team lost a series after leading 31. [52], Due to his Olympic commitment, Russell could not join the Celtics for the 195657 NBA season until December. Bill Russell has three children. He passed away peacefully with . He cherished fond memories of his childhood in the Park Cities, graduating from Highland Park High School in 1953. At age 35, Russell contributed with 6 points, 21 rebounds, and 6 assists in his last NBA game. There are no Insights into his past relationship. July 31, 2022 1:27pm. I was able to separate the Celtics institution from the city and the fans. FILE - Boston Celtics legendary player Bill Russell is greeted at his seat before Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series between the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers . In the pivotal Game 7, Russell managed to hold Chamberlain to 22 points, 28 points below his season average, while scoring 19 points. 4 in a similar list by The Athletic. [121] Russell also wrote books, usually written as a joint project with a professional writer, including 1979's Second Wind,[122] and played Judge Roger Ferguson in the Miami Vice episode "The Fix" (aired March 7, 1986). 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? [223], On September 26, 2017, Russell posted a photograph of himself to a previously unused Twitter account in which he was taking the knee in solidarity with the U.S. national anthem kneeling protests. Rusell states, It was one bedroom, so my brother and I both had rollaway beds. 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. "[120] In December 2008, the We Are Boston Leadership Award was presented to Russell. [68] The matchup between Russell and Chamberlain became one of basketball's greatest rivalries. "[197] In 2009, Russell wrote his paternal grandfather's motto, passed down to his father and then to him: "A man has to draw a line inside himself that he won't allow any man to cross." [104] After losing for the fifth straight time against Russell and the Celtics, Hall-of-Fame Lakers guard Jerry West stated: "If I had a choice of any basketball player in the league, my No. [80][81] Russell finished with a clutch performance, scoring 30 points, along with 4 assists,[82] and tying his own NBA Finals record with 40 rebounds in a 110107 overtime win. [150] He played in eleven deciding games (ten times in Game 7s, once in a Game 5) and ended with a 110 record. [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. [191], During his career, Russell was one of the first big earners in NBA basketball. After much debate, Auerbach agreed to give up Hagan and the Hawks made the trade. [188] On October 16, 2013, Russell was arrested for bringing his registered, loaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun to the SeattleTacoma International Airport. "Bill's wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you . [1] On March 11, 1965, in a 112100 win over the Detroit Pistons, Russell grabbed 49 rebounds, which tied for the third-most in a single game in NBA history,[92] along with 27 points and 6 assists. Although Russell was a good runner and jumper and had large hands,[20] he did not understand the game and was cut from the team at Herbert Hoover Junior High School. [49] Boston's chances of getting Russell seemed slim because they had finished second in the previous season and the worst teams had the highest draft picks, and the Celtics had slipped too low in the draft order to pick Russell. [38] He became known for his strong defense and shot-blocking skills, once denying 13 shots in a game. When the reporter asked how, Russell responded: "Because the most important factor is respect. Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. [167] In October 2021, Russell was honored as one of theleague's 75 greatest players of all-time. [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. I'm certainly going to ask Maurice Podoloff." In this article, we take a look at how many kids Bill Russell had and who they are. William Felton "Bill" Russell was an American professional basketball player. [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. 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. He was 88. [152] He could score with putbacks and made mid-air outlet passes to point guard Bob Cousy for easy fast-break points. 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. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a 12-time NBA All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career. I knew youd encounter racism and sexism, and maybe, in some ways, thats a good thing. She graduated as an English Major from the University of Washington. American baseball player and coach. [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. [107] Russell then reversed himself and ordered his team to double-team West and Boston won Game 3. [110] Although White became a standout Celtics player, Boston lacked an All-Star center, went 3448 in the 196970 NBA season, and failed to make it to the 1970 NBA playoffs, marking the first time since 1950 that they did not make the playoffs. Bill was born in Milltown, Tennessee on April 14, 1942. Bill Russell's Siblings His only sibling is Charlie L. Russell. [19] In another incident, Russell's mother was walking outside in a fancy dress when a white policeman accosted her. He wrote these words after recounting how grandfather Jake Russell had stood up to the Ku Klux Klan and other whites who attempted to thwart his efforts to build a schoolhouse for black children; his grandfather was the first person in Russell's patrilineal line born free in North America and was himself illiterate. [12] Russell averaged 16.6 points per game and a league-record average of 22.7 rebounds per game. [183][184] He was a resident of Mercer Island, Washington, for over four decades. On the top is her late father, Bill Russel, who died on July 21, 2022. Arthur was a man of great courage. It covered every area. [124], Russell made few public appearances in the early 1990s, living as a near-recluse on Mercer Island, Washington, near Seattle. Auerbach had informed his players to not endorse candidates or causes, as it would alienate fans; Cousy campaigned for Ted Kennedy in 1962. [20], At USF, Russell became the new starting center for coach Phil Woolpert of the San Francisco Dons. [51] 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. [56] In previous years, the Celtics had been a high-scoring team but lacked the defensive presence needed to close out tight games. So we never, or at least I never, ever considered him as having ulterior motives for whatever he did. Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion as a player and coach with the Boston Celtics and one of the most important figures in NBA history, has died at the age of 88, his family announced. "[65], In the 195859 NBA season, Russell averaged 16.7 points per game and 23.0 rebounds per game. [65] The teams split the first two games, but Russell went down with a foot injury in Game 3 and only returned for Game 6. And what we would do is[Auerbach] trusted all his playersso like when he'd make a coaching decision, he could talk: he talked to [Bob] Cousey [who is white], he talked to me [black], he talked to [Bill] Sharman [white], he talked to Sam [Jones] [black]all of us: 'What do you think?' No one in the history of North American team sports won at a higher level than Bill Russell did as a member of the Boston Celtics, capturing 11 championships in his 13 seasons with the team. I averaged over 20 points and over 20 rebounds, and I was the only guy in college blocking shots. [79] Game 7 was tied one second before the end of regular time, when Lakers guard Rod Hundley faked a shot and passed out to Frank Selvy, who missed an open eight-foot last-second shot that would have won Los Angeles the title. Karen Kenyatta Russell is the daughter of NBA Icon Bill Russel. She is a legal and political analyst who graduated from Georgetown University and Harvard Law School. [94] 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. Early years Family. "[60] Before the 196162 season, Russell's team was scheduled to play in an exhibition game in Lexington, Kentucky, when Russell and his black teammates were refused service at a local restaurant. He worked hard and used the benefits of a growth spurt to become a decent basketball player. As part of the 1961 Celtics boycott, he and the other black teammates refused to play in the exhibition game and flew home, drawing a great deal of controversy and publicity. He was a standout in the high jump and according to Track & Field News was ranked the seventh-best high-jumper in the world in 1956, his graduation year, despite not competing in Olympic high-jump competition. 1 choice has to be Bill Russell. She is still very active and frequently appears on MSNBC and CNN, among many other media platforms. Bill Russell's daughter, Karen, was born in 1962. [147][148], 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. The couple got divorced in 1973. Physical Appearance Bill Russell is a young-looking smart and handsome man with a charming and dashing personality. I refuse to smile and be nice to the kiddies. The NBA family just learned this afternoon that Bill Russell, the 11-time champion and Hall of Fame icon of the Boston Celtics, who used that fame to further the civil rights cause in the. 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. Dorothy Anstett Born: Kirkland, Washington, United States Date of birth: 1947-06-28 Spouse: Bill Russell https://t.co/T9E7sVcZUO pic.twitter.com/se6ka2URg3. Constantly provoked by New York Knicks center Ray Felix during a game, he complained to coach Auerbach, who told him to take matters into his own hands. [60], The Celtics finished the 195657 regular season with a 4428 record, the team's second-best record since beginning play in the 194647 BAA season, which guaranteed Russell his first NBA playoffs appearance,[61] where the Celtics met with the Syracuse Nationals, a team led by Dolph Schayes, through the Eastern Division Finals. Bill Russell married his college Girlfriend Rose Swisher in 1956 and had one daughter named Karen Russell and two sons named William Russell Jr & Jacob Russell from the wedlock. [39][40] During his college career, Russell was the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1955, averaging 20.7 points per game and 20.3 rebounds per game. [28], Russell was ignored by college recruiters and received not one offer until recruiter Hal DeJulio from the University of San Francisco (USF) watched him play in a high school game. 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. The game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. 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. Born in Dallas on November 8, 1935, William Russell "Bill" Goff was a lifelong Texan. [Auerbach would] get the information from us and then make a decision based on that information and his thoughts. And so the Celticsall we looked for was: 'Can he play?' The Celtics won, earning their first NBA championship. The Hall of Famer was 88. LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers), are grandfatheredthey may keep the number until they voluntarily change it or retirebut the number will not be issued again to a new player. [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. "[5] The Sixers outpaced the Celtics when they shredded the famed Boston defense by scoring 140 points in the clinching Game 5 win. During Russell's college career, the conference was known as the California Basketball Association. They had three children: daughter Karen Russell, a television pundit and lawyer, and sons William Jr. and Jacob. [50], The St. Louis Hawks, who owned the second pick, drafted Russell but were vying for Celtics center Ed Macauley, a six-time NBA All-Star who had roots in St. Louis. 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. . @NBATV before Game 6 of 2013 #NBAFinals. He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. He had invested $250,000 in a rubber plantation in Liberia, where he had wanted to spend his retirement, but it went bankrupt. [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] Lakers head coach John Kundla praised Russell, stating: "We don't fear the Celtics without Bill Russell. He was voted the NBA Most Valuable Player but only named to the All-NBA Second Team, something that would occur repeatedly throughout his career, as players voted for the MVP award, something that would last until the 197980 NBA season, while the media has always voted for the All-NBA teams. 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. Bill marched with Martin Luther King Jr. when he delivered his "I Have a Dream . He was one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball and left behind an amazing legacy. It notably did not mention the COVID-19 vaccine as his cause of death, so anyone who claims that they did (looking at Jason Pires of Vancouver Times!) 'S 75 greatest players of all-time much to him it 's impossible to.! Head coach Don Nelson said: `` there are two types of superstars a legal and political analyst graduated! 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