[1] The Celtics broke a league record by winning 52 games and Russell's strong performance once again helped lead the Celtics through the 1959 NBA playoffs, as they returned to the NBA Finals. [109] He was so tense before every game that he regularly vomited in the locker room; early in his career, it happened so frequently that his fellow Celtics were more worried when it did not happen than when it did. Tonight, Bull Russell will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2019 ESPYs. [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. On May 6, 1999, the Celtics re-retired Russell's jersey in a ceremony attended by his on-court rival and friend Chamberlain, along with Celtics legend Larry Bird and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bill marched with Martin Luther King Jr. when he delivered his "I Have a Dream . Dorothy Anstett
Born: Kirkland, Washington, United States
Date of birth: 1947-06-28
Spouse: Bill Russell
https://t.co/T9E7sVcZUO pic.twitter.com/se6ka2URg3. 4 in ESPN's list of the top 74 NBA players of all time, the second best center behind Abdul-Jabbar and ahead of Chamberlain. [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. [25] Sports journalist John Taylor described it as a watershed event in Russell's life because he realized that basketball was his chance to escape poverty and racism, and he swore to make the best of it. His marital status is married. National tragedy struck on April 4, day of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. With eight of the ten starting players on Sixers and Celtics being black, both teams were in deep shock and there were calls to cancel the series. Russell's No. "[217] Referring to a time when the Celtics did not frequently sell out the Boston Garden, while the generally mediocre and all-white NHL Boston Bruins did, Russell recalled: "We [the Celtics] did a survey about what we could do to improve attendance. [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. However, it is reported that he lives with his wife Sara Marckx Russell in Washington State. [181] In 1996, Russell married his third wife, Marilyn Nault;[182] their marriage lasted until her death in January 2009. In 1975, he was inducted into the basketball hall of fame. 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. Bill Russell (L) greets Jimmy Butler at the NBA All-Star Game 2018 at Staples Center on February 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. ", "Glory at the Basket, William Felton Russell", "The Ring Leader: Bill Russell helped the Celtics rule their sport like no team ever has", "Celtics Name Russell Coach, Making Him First Negro to Lead Major Team", "A Farewell Fiercest Rival: Bill Russell Recalls Wilt As His Friend For Eternity", "Bill Russell: Working with Red Auerbach", "More than 40 years later, Celtics great Bill Russell finally accepts his Hall of Fame ring", "Third Annual 'We Are Boston' Event Honors Outstanding Contributions to Boston's Diversity", "Bill Russell: 'Tell those NFL players, I'm with them', UPI College Basketball Player of the Year Award, Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year, NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Most Outstanding Player, 1955 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, 1956 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award, Wayland Baptist Women's Teams (19481982), NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bill_Russell&oldid=1142551823, African-American male track and field athletes, African-American sports executives and administrators, All-American college men's basketball players, American sports executives and administrators, Basketball players at the 1956 Summer Olympics, Basketball players from Oakland, California, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, National Basketball Association All-Stars, National Basketball Association broadcasters, National Basketball Association championship-winning head coaches, National Basketball Association players with retired numbers, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball, San Francisco Dons men's basketball players, San Francisco Dons men's track and field athletes, Track and field athletes from Oakland, California, United States men's national basketball team players, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 01:53. He Had Three Children with His First Wife. It's all over! He had a difficult childhood and grew up in poverty. "[36], Racism shaped his lifelong paradigm as a team player, about which Russell said: "At that time it was never acceptable that a black player was the best. .
Bill Russell | Encyclopedia.com The game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. In the first two games, Russell ordered his players not to double-team West, who used the freedom to score 53 and 41 points in the Game 1 and 2 Laker wins. 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. [153] He could score with putbacks and made mid-air outlet passes to point guard Bob Cousy for easy fast-break points. In the 1959 NBA Finals, the Celtics recaptured the NBA title, sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers 40. They were all born to him during his marriage to his first wife, Rose Swisher. The psychology in defense is not blocking a shot or stealing a pass or getting the ball away. Russell's 51 rebounds in a single game is the second-highest performance ever, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's all-time record of 55. We won the National Championship. Suddenly, his grandfather broke down crying. Chamberlain often invited Russell over for Thanksgiving dinner; at Russell's place, conversation mostly concerned Russell's electric trains. Russell, a legend on the court and in the civil rights movement, has been an integral part of MENTOR since its inception more than 30 years ago and has remained steadfastly committed as a champion of the mentoring movement. [5][41] His stint as coach of the Celtics was also of historical significance,[146][147] as he became the first black head coach in the NBA,[14] when he succeeded Red Auerbach. He was born on November 2, 1957, and spent several years working for Cox Trucking. Karen Russell.
NBA legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell dies at 88 - CNN NBA great Bill Russell, who anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13 years, died . He was selected into the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971 and the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1980, named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996,[5] one of only four players to receive all three honors, and selected into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. 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. [20] Russell stated that his father became his childhood hero, later followed up by Minneapolis Lakers superstar George Mikan, whom he met when he was in high school. [105] Russell pulled himself together and put up 9.9 points and 19.3 rebounds per game;[1] the aging Celtics stumbled through the regular season. Bill Russell Personal life, Spouse & Trivia. [21], Under head coach Gerald Tucker, Russell helped the U.S. national basketball team win the gold medal in Melbourne, defeating the Soviet Union national basketball team 8955 in the final game with an 80 undefeated run.
NBA legend Bill Russell dies at 88 | NBA.com [120] In addition, Russell ran into financial trouble. [5] Russell is the all-time playoff leader in total (4,104) and average (24.9) rebounds per game, he grabbed 40 rebounds in three separate playoff games (twice in the NBA Finals), and he never failed to average at least 20 rebounds per game in any of his thirteen playoff campaigns.
Bill Russell's Wives Now: Where Are They Today? Update Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Karen Russell was born on January 20, 1962 and is a legal and political analyst. [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. 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. [219] The FBI maintained a file on Russell and described him in their file as "an arrogant Negro who won't sign autographs for white children". She is a media person, lawyer, and Black-rights activist who has also contributed to publications likeThe New York Times Magazine.
[20] When World War II broke out, the elder Russell became a truck driver. [86] The Celtics reached the 1963 NBA Finals,[87] where they again defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, this time in six games.
Boston Celtics great Bill Russell, 11-time NBA champion, dies at 88 However, she was a step-mom to Russell's three children from his first marriage.
NBA Legend Bill Russell Has Been Married 4 Times - AmoMama [44] Like fellow world-class high-jumpers of that era, Russell used the straddle technique, rather than the Fosbury Flop with which all high jump world records after 1978 have been set. Rest in Peace, Bill. I refuse to smile and be nice to the kiddies.
Bill Russell lived a life like very few others - Boston.com "[5] After the Division Finals, the Celtics had an easier time in the NBA Finals,[95] winning 41 against the Los Angeles Lakers. I like most blacks because I am black." William Felton Russell Jr., Bill Russell's oldest son who was named after the 11-time NBA champion, died in 2016. [132][133] In 2008, Russell received the Golden Plate Award of the Academy of Achievement. NBA great Bill Russell died on Sunday with his wife, Jeannine, by his side. @celtics . [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". 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. As reported by Sportskeeda, William was employed by Cox Trucking. They hence spent the ensuing nine years having fun as well as traveling with one another, that is, until she sadly passed away from losing her battle with cancer at the age of 59 on January 21, 2009. 6 jersey", "Bill Russell Statue Unveiled At Boston City Hall", "Bill Russell statue to be unveiled Nov. 1", "City Hall Plaza statue honors Celtics' Bill Russell", "Basketball's Bill Russell joins the Bronze Age", "Russell Rule Diversity Hiring Commitment", "The University of San Francisco Honors the Memory of Marilyn Nault Russell", "Bill Russell: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know", "Bill Russell, legendary Celtics center and NBA coach, dead at 88", "Indomitable Russell Values One Accolade Above the Rest", "Police: NBA legend Bill Russell arrested with gun at airport", "Bill Russell, Basketball Great With Record 11 NBA Titles, Dies At 88", "Celtics legend, 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell dies at 88", "What NBA salaries would these superstar players make today?