Russell's 6'9" frame also earned plenty of attention. 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. 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 And so thats the kind of stuff I got from my mother.. Following the 1969 season, Russell retired from the game. She went on to win theMiss Washington USA1968 crown title. He retired in 1969 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame six years later. 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. She grabbed the keys to the house and grabbed me. MARTIN: One of the things that I think people today don't realize is how much he had to put up with as a player. Bill Russells first wife was Rose Swisher, whom he married on December 9, 1956. | 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 Meanwhile, Bills first marriage was to Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973, Dorothy Anstett from 1977 to 1980, and Marilyn Nault from 1996 to 2009. Inducted into the Sport in Society Hall of Fame, 2000. Following the 1966 season, in which Russell led the Celtics to an eighth consecutive title, Auerbach retired from coaching. Bill Russells Mom Changed His Life Forever By Making Him Fight 5 Guys In The Projects To Learn A Lesson. 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. Get top headlines from the Union-Tribune in your inbox weekday mornings, including top news, local, sports, business, entertainment and opinion. I mean, you've won so many accolades. Due to the demise of his mother, Bills father decided to work in a steel factory in order to provide emotional support for his children. It would be a disservice an insult, really to look at Russell as only a basketball player, even as one of the greatest ever. Go back to Africa, you baboon. The premise was that it had to be difficult for Russell to live in such a place, to play for fans in such a city. Auerbachs lineup came out of necessity; he was notoriously indifferent to social causes and the opposing backlash. 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. The victory got Russell his 10th NBA Championship title in 12 career years and the Sports Illustrateds Sportsman of the Year Award. However, Russell fought a long and tough battle off the court as well. The cemetery is also the final resting place of martial arts action star Bruce Lee and his son Brandon Lee. Its impossible to tell the story of the NBA without also telling the story of Bill Russell. NBA Sacramento Kings, player/head coach (1987-1988). And I'm just going to play a short clip about that. Bill Russell had a delayed emergence. While in Oakland he was very poor but became a He recorded a mean score of 20.7 points and 20.3 rebounds per game. You know, he didn't love the Boston fans. 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You can swipe through the Instagram gallery below to see the videos and/or check out the full quotes below the Instagram post. Attended McClymonds High School in Oakland, California, Inducted into the ESPN Boston Hall of Fame in 2011 (inaugural class) with. Before he won 11 NBA championships and five MVP awards before he won two national championships in Over the course of his 13-year NBA career, Russell steered the club to 11 titles. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 as a player and 2021 as a coach. In the 1958/59 season, the Celtics won the NBA championship with Russell making the most defensive impact in the team. MARTIN: Do you kind of get the feeling that, in a way, his story was hiding in plain sight? And so, to do this took thought, planning and discretion and intelligence. Russell married his first wife Rose in 1956, and the couple had their first child, William Jr., the year after. During his college years, Bill competed in many sports besides basketball, including the high jump. The Celtics dynasty retooled over the years between 1956 and 1969, but the one constant was Russell. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. WebFamily Life. He last led the Sacramento Kings as president of basketball operations in the late 1980s. His home was accosted on a few occasions, and he heard he would not get MVP because he was black from a reporter. Throughout his 13-year career, he enjoyed a successful spell with the Celtics. The two who were previous friends were now very distant. His on-court achievements did not give him a platform; instead, they granted him a strange kind of amnestythe very greatness that should have forced others to listen somehow overshadowed any trouble he might have wanted to stir up. Even against more physically imposing centers, like .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Wilt Chamberlain, Russell was a defensive and rebounding force. Bill Russell's selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame for his coaching career was announced on May 16, 2021. Why this film and why now? He won more championships than any other NBA player and made the Boston Celtics one of the most successful franchises in the league's history. Two-time All-Conference, State, District and American. WebBill Russells age is 88. All rights reserved. And, you know, for me as a filmmaker, that gave me an opportunity to dig into Bill Russell's life, which was much more complicated than most people know, and that he was not only a great player on the court, but he was a very important human and civil rights activist off the court, too. William Felton Russell Jr., also known as "Buddha," lost a courageous battle with cancer. Please logout and login again. People broke into his house and destroyed his trophies, among many other outrageous deeds. 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. Bill Russell was born on February 12, 1934. In the History of professional sports there has never been an athlete who has more accolades or championships, in other words Bill Russell was not only a champion, but he was perhaps the definition of a champion. [December 2003]. His family said on social media that Russell died on Sunday, July 31, 2022. He was at the '67 summit in Cleveland with Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali. The NBA legend was a victim of racism, and not even his basketball fame helped him. Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, who won 11 championships in 13 seasons with the team, 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. 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. Bill Russells first wife was Rose Swisher, whom he married on December 9, 1956. His last season came in 1968/69 as he began to age and lose interest in the professionalism of basketball. It is a truly staggering rate of success, one that no other NBA player has come close to approaching. And one of them slapped me as they went by. He was born and brought up in a super-rich-class Catholic Christian family from West Monroe, Louisiana, United States. That story was part of a THREE-HOUR interview with Bill Russell that is preserved in the Library Of Congress. In 1956 Red Auerbachthe Celtics head coach and general managertargeted Russell in the NBA draft, seeing the solution to his teams shortcomings. Until Michael Jordan he was almost unanimously acclaimed as the greatest player of all time, and some still think he is. 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. She's also provided commentary on the high-profile cases of NBA players like Kobe Bryant and Jayson Williams. In California, life for the Russell family proved rocky. Rose and Bill were college sweethearts and were together for much of Bills NBA success. 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. Russell immediately made an impact by improving the Celtics defence with his shot-blocking talent. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. moved his family over to Oakland, California, where Hes still second on the NBAs all-time rebounding list, behind only Wilt Chamberlain, and will probably be in that spot forever since nobody has come remotely close to him in the last 50 years. 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. Russell now had the daunting task of taking a bottom seed to defeat some of the best teams of all time, including a newly revamped Philadelphia after the Chamberlain trade, who they beat, and the New York Knickerbockers, led by Willis Reed, Walt Bellamy, and Walt Frazier, who they beat in 6, and set the match for the Los Angeles Lakers, which now had Chamberlain.Chamberlain, as well as Jerry West and Elgin Baylor always fell short to the Celtics. I had seen Bill Russell play. Also coached the NBA's Seattle Supersonics and Sacramento Kings. He was married four times and had three children. In 1987, Russell began coaching the Sacramento Kings but was fired due to lack of performances following a loss in the opening fixture of the 1988/89 season. During his 13-year NBA career, Russell led the Boston Celtics to 11 championships - two as a player coach. 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. Bill Russelll described the incident as one that changed my whole attitude sticking up for yourself. POLLARD: Yeah, during the Boston bussing issue. According to CBS Sports, he was a track star at his university. President Barack Obama at about 6-foot-2, a taller-than-average individual had to stretch a bit when draping the Presidential Medal of Freedom around Russells neck in 2011, even after Russell crouched down to accommodate the moment. 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. Bill Russell turns 88-years-old this February and has lived such an incredible life in the world of sports its almost hard to really wrap the brain around. William Felton Russell was born Feb. 12, 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana. NPR's Michel Martin speaks with director Sam Pollard about his new documentary Bill Russell: Legend, which is now streaming on Netflix. 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. I was the only Negro athlete on either team. She has had many amazing accomplishments in her life. But without Bill Russell there is no doubt the Boston Celtics would not be the rock-solid professional sports team they have become in their legendary run of championships. WebBill Russell was an American former basketball coach and former professional basketball player who was universally acknowledged as one of the greatest American The Philadelphia 76ers did beat the Boston Celtics in 1967, but in 1966 and 1968 the Celtics, not quite to the level of the Sixers.But in 1968 it was truly Russell that beat the Sixers, as he was not the heart and soul on the court, but was now it's head coach, which he became in 1967 after legend Red Auerbach retired. When Auerbach retired after the Celtics won the 196566 NBA title, Russell succeeded him as coach. This year, alongside Gail Goodrich and Happy Hairston, and a very deep bench, which included future Laker's Coach Pat Riley the Lakers looked to beat the Celtics for the first time in the Finals. .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. Bill was born in Louisiana in 1934. MVP All-Star Game (1963) after 19 points and 24 rebounds. You know, what - is there something in particular you're hoping people will draw from this film? The NBA legend was 88 years old at the time of his death. He brought a defensive style of play and led his side to the playoffs, the first in their franchise history. This is probably my favorite Bill Russell highlight that I can think of. The Celtics legend had four wives during his life, and is now the focus of a Netflix documentary called Bill Russell: Legend. For good measure, he might have had 12, had an ankle injury not sidelined him early in the 1958 NBA finals. Only Russell remained of the fabled Boston Celtics, except for the emerging superstar John Havlichek, and aging star Sam Jones. In the long line of dominance the Boston Celtics would exercise over the NBA the most legendary years were in his final years. Bill Russell, one of the greatest Boston Celtics and NBA players ever, died, his family said Sunday. You'll get covered with chocolate. His family said on social media that Russell died on Sunday, July 31, 2022. His calling card was defense, rebounding, andabove all elseshot blocking, which he transformed into a fluid athletic art in the same way that some of his contemporaries had altered the perception of what was possible on offense. Universally recognized as one of the most accomplished athletes in professional sports history, NBA legend Bill Russell died Sunday. (SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "BILL RUSSELL: LEGEND"). The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. 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. And thats what you must always do. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. One imagines you could do any number of subjects at this stage of your career. He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. However, they separated three years later in 1980. There was no doubt who the fans were yelling at. The NBA legend was 88 years old at the time of his death. While studying at the McClymonds High School, he was introduced to basketball as he participated in the school team. In 1966 Wilt Chamberlain was traded from the Golden State warriors to his new hometown Philadelphia 76ers. Russell was married three times. They are the only children Bill had. During his days playing in the NBA, brands were not accustomed to signing sponsorship and endorsement deals with players. 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. Bill Russells daughter, Karen, was born in 1962. On the day of Bill Russells private funeral, NBA announces its greatest honor: the permanent retirement of No. He was born on November 2, 1957 and worked for Cox Trucking for several years. Rose Swisher died aged 78 on September 11, 2014. His Russell led the US national team in aspects of points, recording an average14.1 points per game. She married BillRussell in 1977. Beloved NBA legend Bill Russell has died at the age of 88, his family announced in a statement Sunday. Over his 13 seasons in the league, the team played in 12 NBA finals, winning 11 of them. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: No. July 31, 2022 1:27pm. Bill Russell has been married on 4 different occasions but had never kept a marriage for up to 2 decades, the longest being 17 years (19561973) to a lady called It was the start of an unprecedented championship run for Russell and the Celtics. Declared Greatest Player in the History of the NBA by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America (1980). WebBill Russell February 12, 1934 Russell was born on February 12, 1934, to Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana. So I think he wasn't just - he wasn't as vocal and he didn't have as much exposure as they did. Frustratingly, his sheer basketball excellence made his actions not only excusable for fans but tolerated in a way that bordered on dismissive. MARTIN: So before we let you go, what's important to you? Despite winning 11 championships in 13 seasons with the Celtics, Russell greatly disliked playing in Boston and was often the target of racism. Legendary center who was a 5-time NBA MVP and 12-time All-Star selection. The Celtics legend had four wives during his life, and is now the focus of a Netflix documentary called Bill Russell: Legend. Russell was married three times. 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. He is an American by nationality and has a belief in the Catholic Christian religion. He was not ready for the coaching job, and did an all around bad job, sadly enough. After losing manager Red Auerbach to retirement in the 1966/67 season, Russell picked up the managerial position as a player-coach. She attended theUniversity of Washingtonwhere she majored in English but later found fame as a beauty queen and pageant titleholder. She was born on January 20, 1962. He suffered a financially depressed childhood and faced racial discriminations as a black in the southern state of Louisiana, United States. Russell once got asked a question about being a Black star in Boston, a city with a complicated history when it comes to race. After taking the first two at home the Lakers returned to the Boston Garden to lose the next two. It's titled, appropriately enough, "Bill Russell: Legend.". Russell's This article was created by a combination of a few writers and editors from Sporty Tell. Still yet Russell was without a doubt one of the finest players of his day. The Greatest Food Debates Of All Time, Answered Pineapple On Pizza? It was a breakthrough that would change not only his life but, in the long term, basketball itself. Coon. Yet in a sport that traditionally celebrates scoring and offensive heroics, Russell was an anomaly: a dominant player for whom making shots was truly secondary. Although possessing a perfect basketball height and huge hands to aid his efficiency, Bill Russell initially had struggles in understanding the game. The family moved from Louisiana to Oakland during World War II due to employment opportunities for the blacks in the west at the time. And so was his personality, as great as he was in basketball.. But there was more to it than that: the white Heinsohn was simply a more attractive candidate for many voters. When we first moved to the projects, my mother was getting everything together. Bill Russell knew that basketball was not so much scoring, but keeping your opponent from scoring as well. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 25, 2016. From boycotting a 1961 exhibition game to unmask too-long-tolerated discrimination, to leading Mississippis first integrated basketball camp in the combustible wake of Medgar Evans assassination, to decades of activism ultimately recognized by his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010.. Rose Swisher and Bill Russell had three children, daughter Karen Russell and sons William Jr and Jacob. 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. After a successful off-Broadway run, the production became the only one from that theater to ever become a film in 1973. His second wife, Dorothy "Didi" Anstett, was the 1968 Miss USA. Once again, there was an element of chance involved: Auerbach had never seen Russell play and instead had to rely on the word of a trusted peer. Take away all the on-court accomplishments, and Russell still lived a life. So it was, like, an easy yes for me to say, I'd love to direct this film about Bill Russell. 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. The couple divorced in 1973. Who was Bill Russells wife? 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. Official Sites. Updated. 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. Currently, Russells estimated net worth is about $10 million. Bill Russell viewed basketball as a science, and played the game with an analytical view as well as with an emotional intensity.Russell played the game psychologically as well, defending his various opponents so well that many times he made those he defended feel like they could not score a basket. All Rights Reserved. Bill Russell was born in 1934 in Louisiana and when he was eight years old his family moved west to Oakland, California during WWII looking for a new life. Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, and in 2011 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Thanks, mom. Russell used this mindset while on the court and in And these 5 guys ran by. The term Dynasty might have never applied to Basketball had it not been for Bill Russell. The NBA great Bill Russell has died at age 88. NBA legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell dies at 88 Then came the proving ground of Boston. He posted a picture with her on January 25, 2021, as the couple renewed their wedding vows. However, it is reported that he lives with his wife Sara Marckx Russell in Washington State. However, Russell was one of the huge earners in the NBA and didnt have to work part-time so as to maintain his standard of living as it was the case with other NBA players at the time. All 5 of them, 1 at a time. He was voted league MVP five times. He won five MVP awards, tied for second-most with Michael Jordan, one behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbars league record. He would not let his defeat in 1967 keep him down. But by his senior year, his game had picked up enough to earn him a starting spot. He would return and defeat the Sixers in 1968, in a hotly contested Conference Final series, and easily defeat the Lakers in the Finals. Draw from this film about Bill Russell: legend. `` outrageous deeds '' lost a battle. In particular you 're hoping people will draw from this film a mean score of points! Professionalism of basketball the opposing backlash Louisiana to Oakland during World War due... A financially depressed childhood and faced racial discriminations as a beauty queen and pageant titleholder McClymonds... And the opposing backlash retirement of no Fame helped him Russell 's this was! Miss USA and 2021 as a coach a coach Society Hall of Fame for his coaching career was on. 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