MARTIN: So before we let you go, what's important to you? In the 1958/59 season, the Celtics won the NBA championship with Russell making the most defensive impact in the team. You know, what - is there something in particular you're hoping people will draw from this film? However, he still performed well as a player the following season and led the team to yet another NBA championship title. He Had Three Children with His First Wife Together, Russell and Swisher had three children: daughter Karen, and sons William Jr. and Jacob. However, they separated three years later in 1980. 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.. You can swipe through the Instagram gallery below to see the videos and/or check out the full quotes below the Instagram post. He could care less, you know, about being someone that the Boston fans would love. After taking the first two at home the Lakers returned to the Boston Garden to lose the next two. After his death he was interred in Lake View Cemetery in Seattle WA. We don't remember a lot of the abuse that he had to put up with earlier in his career. But by his senior year, his game had picked up enough to earn him a starting spot. 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 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. And there was no hesitation on my part because I grew up in the '60s. Bill Russell would lead the Boston Celtics to 9 straight NBA titles, many times over vaunted rivals the Philadelphia Warriors, and later the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You have entered an incorrect email address! They were together from 1956 to 1973. 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. Get top headlines from the Union-Tribune in your inbox weekday mornings, including top news, local, sports, business, entertainment and opinion. Your login session has expired. Russell capped his amateur career by leading the U.S. mens basketball team to the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. She attended theUniversity of Washingtonwhere she majored in English but later found fame as a beauty queen and pageant titleholder. William Felton Russell Jr., also known as "Buddha," lost a courageous battle with cancer. BroBible is the #1 place on the internet for the very best content from the worlds of sports, culture, gear, high tech, and more. She represented the USA atMiss Universe 1968in July, where she placed fourth runner-up. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 as a player and 2021 as a coach. He married Rose Swisher, his college sweetheart, in 1956. Over his 13 seasons in the league, the team played in 12 NBA finals, winning 11 of them. He was never embraced by Boston fans in the way his white teammates were. He brought a defensive style of play and led his side to the playoffs, the first in their franchise history. 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. 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. Saw no point to them. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. She is still very active and frequently appears on MSNBC and CNN, among many other media platforms. It's titled, appropriately enough, "Bill Russell: Legend.". Bill Russelll described the incident as one that changed my whole attitude sticking up for yourself. In his second season with the Celtics, Russell bought a house in Reading. The autograph-seekers almost always declined. And so was his personality, as great as he was in basketball.. Bill was born to Katie and Charles Russell. And he lived in Reading, Mass. Bill Russell: Legend is a new two-part Netflix documentary that covers the Boston greats triumphs on the court, and activism off of it. William Felton Russell was born Feb. 12, 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana. Both Macauley and Hagan would eventually land in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, an indication of how highly Auerbach valued Russell. I was the only Negro athlete on either team. 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. Tim Reynolds is a national basketball writer for The Associated Press. They were together from 1956 to 1973. On the day of Bill Russells private funeral, NBA announces its greatest honor: the permanent retirement of No. He helped start the National Basketball Players Association. Bill had attended the McClymonds High School, a public school in Oakland, California. 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. When Russell was eight years old, his father moved the family to Oakland, California, where the job prospects were better. Bill Russells first wife was Rose Swisher, whom he married on December 9, 1956. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. 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. He dealt with Boston bussing issues. He would not let his defeat in 1967 keep him down. The documentary features the last interview with Russell before his passing, as well as archived interviews throughout his life. However, Russell fought a long and tough battle off the court as well. Russell used his popularity to fight for civil rights and help others who were in a similar situation. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. While studying at the McClymonds High School, he was introduced to basketball as he participated in the school team. William Jr, Bills first son, was born in 1957 but passed away from cancer in 2016. Bill Russell attended the University of San-Francisco and played on the school team presumably due to his height advantage. NBA 35th Anniversary All-Time Team (1980). He supported Muhammad Ali when the fighter refused to go to Vietnam. What matters is you stood up for yourself. 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. Although Bill Russell played less than 50 games, due to the fact he has won a gold medal for basketball in the Olympics, in his first NBA season he definitely made his presence felt. Updates? SAM POLLARD: If it weren't for Bill Russell winning all them championships, would anybody be talking about the Boston Celtics? Bill Russell, one of the greatest Boston Celtics and NBA players ever, died, his family said Sunday. The world has many of them. Associated With. Off the court, he was a force in the fight for human Full Article. Bill Russell, byname of William Felton Russell, (born February 12, 1934, Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.), 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. He won 11 NBA titles in the 13 seasons that he played with Bill Russell who was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks as its first-round second overall pick in the 1956 NBA draft earned a draft trade and was acquired by the Boston Celtics but soon after participated in the Olympics which delayed his participation with the Celtics. Have something to tell us about this article? You know, I want you to understand, like a lot of these films about (inaudible) the complexity of the human being, we're playing up on a screen. Holds the NBA single-game record for most rebounds in a half (32) vs. Philadelphia on Nov. 16, 1957. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. Played professional basketball for the Boston Celtics. Over the course of his 13-year NBA career, Russell steered the club to 11 titles. Russell, the greatest winner in the history of team sports, died Sunday at 88. This site uses cookies to serve you better. Its impossible to tell the story of the NBA without also telling the story of Bill Russell. You know, I think people remember that sort of ugly era in Boston's history, which went on for quite some time, like the racial tension in Boston. As head coach, compiled a 341-290 record (.540) in eight seasons. 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. 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. Bills wife at the time of his death was Jeannine Russell, previously known as Jeannine Fiorito and Jeannine Maddux. It is a truly staggering rate of success, one that no other NBA player has come close to approaching. The couple divorced in 1973. Omissions? 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. The Celtics legend had four wives during his life, and is now the focus of a Netflix documentary called Bill Russell: Legend. 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. The relationship was broken apart in controversy because of Anstetts color. 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 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. But I think this documentary will reset the clock on that and understand Bill from the other perspective, besides being a phenomenal basketball legend. She says dont cry. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. What happened to Lil Durk at Lollapalooza 2022? Who was Bill Russells wife? 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. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. But the way she took care of it was; okay, youre going to fight every 1 of them. Bill Russell Wiki/Biography. (SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "BILL RUSSELL: LEGEND"). Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich? This season every NBA team is wearing the No.6 on the front of their jerseys to honor the great mans legacy. 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. He was 88 years old. Russell asked for a gun permit. MARTIN: Whew. Bill was born in Louisiana in 1934. While Charlie found good work, in 1946 his wife, Katie, became quite sick with the flu and died. He is a best-selling author and thirty years after he won he remained a recognizable face and a legend. Bill Russell died at the age of 88 on July 31, 2022, in Mercer Island, Washington, United States. Russell immediately made an impact by improving the Celtics defence with his shot-blocking talent. He was voted league MVP five times. Although possessing a perfect basketball height and huge hands to aid his efficiency, Bill Russell initially had struggles in understanding the game. The Celtics legend had four wives in his life, and married former Miss USA Dorothy Anstett four years after separating from Rose Swisher. He won five MVP awards, tied for second-most with Michael Jordan, one behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbars league record. A San Diego judge had a defendants 13-year-old daughter handcuffed. This intensity not only paid off in the Olympics, and in college, but it would have an immediate impact in the NBA. He didnt shut up and dribble. In the long line of dominance the Boston Celtics would exercise over the NBA the most legendary years were in his final years. One of the first players to utilize the blocked shot as a weapon. This story was shared by Bill Russell and he discusses the first day of moving into new projects. 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. Currently, Russells estimated net worth is about $10 million. 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