The NBA great Bill Russell has died at age 88. At the age of 9 he moved to Oakland. Russell was truly nothing short of a champion.Since his historic victory Russell has been active in broadcasting for NBA games, and occasionally coaching, including the Seattle Supersonics in the 1970s and the Sacramento Kings in the 1980s. Throughout his 13-year career, he enjoyed a successful spell with the Celtics. 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. Like almost all Southern towns and cities of that time, Monroe was very segregated and the Russells often struggled with racism in The following season, Russell earned the NBA MVP award and helped the Celtics to another NBA final which they lost. 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. He married Rose Swisher, his college sweetheart, in 1956. Only Russell remained of the fabled Boston Celtics, except for the emerging superstar John Havlichek, and aging star Sam Jones. 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. Russell was only eight years old when the family moved to Oakland and one of the first things his mother ensured he had was a library card. 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. She went on to win theMiss Washington USA1968 crown title. It seems weird that there hasn't been this kind of full feature-length treatment until now, given the impact that he had. In 2013, Boston erected a significant statue of their legend, Bill Russell right outside the Boston City Hall Plaza. He would direct his blocks to a player releasing on a fast break or off the backboard to keep the ball in play. Former Basketball coach, Former Professional Basketball Player. Write to him at treynolds(at)ap.org, More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports. You did what youre supposed to do. 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, one of the greatest Boston Celtics and NBA players ever, died, his family said Sunday. They were together from 1956 to 1973. Its impossible to tell the story of the NBA without also telling the story of Bill Russell. I say yes maam. In 2009, the NBA changed the name of the finals MVP from NBA finals MVP award to Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. Russell led the US national team in aspects of points, recording an average14.1 points per game. He shares all three of his children with his first wife and college sweetheart, Rose Swisher, whom he divorced in 1973. His family fell into poverty and they moved into housing projects and thats where this story picks up. Russell would not stand for racism in sports, which was ironic, given Bostons historical notoriety in that department. Please logout and login again. July 31, 2022 1:27pm. In 1956 Bill Russell entered the NBA draft. The NBA legend was 88 years old at the time of his death. His early childhood was shaped by poor health, as the sickly Russell battled several different illnesses. Bill hasnt shared how he met his last wife, but he adored her. The victory got Russell his 10th NBA Championship title in 12 career years and the Sports Illustrateds Sportsman of the Year Award. The couple got divorced in 1973. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. POLLARD: Well, first of all, he was a very angry guy about that. Russell was the first player to win an Olympic Gold Medal, an NBA Championship, and a collegiate championship. {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. 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. Publicity Listings So how did he deal with it? Do you know what I mean? Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 as a player and 2021 as a coach. Accuracy and availability may vary. Two-time All-Conference, State, District and American. He didn't love Boston. 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. All-NBA Second Team (1958, 1960-1962, 1964, 1966-1968). No matter the game went to seven games when it should have been much shorter. The 11-time NBA champion is survived by his wife Jeannine and two children. I had seen Bill Russell play. WebBill Russells age is 88. Bill Russell married his college Girlfriend Rose Swisher in 1956 and had one daughter named Karen Russell and two sons named After a successful off-Broadway run, the production became the only one from that theater to ever become a film in 1973. The Celtics legend had four wives during his life, and is now the focus of a Netflix documentary called Bill Russell: Legend. 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. Yet, he led the Celtics to the NBA championships in a victory over the Lakers and immediately announced his retirement from basketball as a coach and player. I mean, you've won so many accolades. But above all else, Russell was basketballs ultimate winner. He is an American by nationality and has a belief in the Catholic Christian religion. I went and told my mother. 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. Sam Pollard, thanks so much for talking with us. But the thing that Bill Russell was always focused on as a player was being a member of the Celtic family. NBA 25th Anniversary All-Time Team (1970). 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 mean, he had a lot of issues. The ball went up, and Bob Pettit of the Hawks and I jumped for it. Your login session has expired. A cause of death wasnt given, nor did a family statement say where he died. Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. While studying at the McClymonds High School, he was introduced to basketball as he participated in the school team. Russell was married three times. Who are Bill Russell's children? Universally recognized as one of the most accomplished athletes in professional sports history, NBA legend Bill Russell died Sunday. WebAbout Bill Russell Composer William "Bill" Russell (February 26, 1905 August 9, 1992) was an American music historian and modernist composer. Bill Russell hated autographs. Karen graduated from Harward Law School and has dissected high-profile trials and national political issues. A post shared by ProCity Hoops (@procityhoops). The series airs on Wednesday, February 8, and fans want to know more about his personal life. The NBA great Bill Russell has died at age 88. What happened to Lil Durk at Lollapalooza 2022? An explanation van Breda Kolff gave to Chamberlain was "we're doing fine without you." She says dont cry. Due to his height, the NCAA changed some rules that could foster the progress of Bill Russell and other NBA prospects with tall frames. Both Macauley and Hagan would eventually land in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, an indication of how highly Auerbach valued Russell. And these 5 guys ran by. Coon. Game Seven in the Finals was one of the most legendary ever played in the history of American sports. At SportyTell.com, we strive for fairness and accuracy. The documentary features the last interview with Russell before his passing, as well as archived interviews throughout his life. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, the FIBA (Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur) Hall of Fame in 2007, and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in its inaugural ceremony in 2006. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Why do you think that is? He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. While there is still progress to be made, the Hall of Famer should get a lot of credit for fighting against what was wrong. 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. William Felton Russell Jr., also known as "Buddha," lost a courageous battle with cancer. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: No. Corrections? This story was shared by Bill Russell and he discusses the first day of moving into new projects. Have something to tell us about this article? We don't remember a lot of the abuse that he had to put up with earlier in his career. His new documentary, "Bill Russell: Legend," is streaming now on Netflix. Have a good day. MARTIN: So before we let you go, what's important to you? .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. His home was accosted on a few occasions, and he heard he would not get MVP because he was black from a reporter. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. The couple divorced in 1973. They were together from 1956 to 1973. When we first moved to the projects, my mother was getting everything together. Boston Celtics fans say Bill Russell was so much more than a basketball star. He has been a very consistent player who has been struggling a 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. NBA Most Valuable Player (1958, 1961-1963, 1965). He was born on November 2, 1957 and worked for Cox Trucking for several years. The statement draws attention to his achievements and contributions outside the field over the years. In 1964 they became the first team in the NBA to start an all-Black lineup. Auerbachs lineup came out of necessity; he was notoriously indifferent to social causes and the opposing backlash. 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. He recorded a mean score of 20.7 points and 20.3 rebounds per game. The cemetery is also the final resting place of martial arts action star Bruce Lee and his son Brandon Lee. But I think this documentary will reset the clock on that and understand Bill from the other perspective, besides being a phenomenal basketball legend. Ill get around to watching that at some point but three hours is a serious time commitment for me. WebFamily Life. Featured Image by Bill Russell / Instagram. We went all through the projects looking for those 5 guys. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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, He last led the Sacramento Kings as president of basketball operations in the late 1980s. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, file), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Trump cowboy found not guilty of campaign finance charge, Obama praises woman behind Fired up chant as she retires, India urges G-20 ministers to look beyond East-West crisis, Sheriff: Florida man fatally shot teenage daughter, 3 others, N. Korea wants more control over farming amid food shortage, NYC bike path killer doesnt testify in death penalty phase, San Diego lawyer sentenced to prison for stealing $5K worth of life insurance premium payments, Driver extricated from overturned car after crashing off I-5 in La Jolla, RFK killer Sirhan Sirhan denied parole by California board, 25 years to life in prison for nanny who fatally injured 4-week-old baby in her care, Imperial Beach school placed on lockdown after unsubstantiated threat of gun on campus. William Jr, Bills first son, was born in 1957 but passed away from cancer in 2016. West Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States, Mercer Island, King County, Washington, United States. But the way she took care of it was; okay, youre going to fight every 1 of them. Rose Swisher died aged 78 on September 11, 2014. In 1956 Red Auerbachthe Celtics head coach and general managertargeted Russell in the NBA draft, seeing the solution to his teams shortcomings. In his second season with the Celtics, Russell bought a house in Reading. MVP All-Star Game (1963) after 19 points and 24 rebounds. Russell asked for a gun permit. Rather than play for somebody else, Russell took over as a player-coach, steering the team to titles in 1968 and 1969. His autobiography, Second Wind: The Memoirs of an Opinionated Man (cowritten with Taylor Branch), was published in 1979. Before he won 11 NBA championships and five MVP awards before he won two national championships in That was the way I conducted my life.. Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich? Russell died Sunday at the age of 88, with his wife, Jeannine, at his side, his family said in a statement posted on social media. The relationship was broken apart in controversy because of Anstetts color. First Laker's owner Jack Kent Cooke had filled the rafters with purple and yellow balloons balloons and intended to drop them after the Lakers won. The NBA great Bill Russell has died at age 88. Case in point: The apparent invasion of raccoons into Reading, Massachusetts, around 1958. She has had many amazing accomplishments in her life. Bill Russells daughter, Karen, was born in 1962. This is probably my favorite Bill Russell highlight that I can think of. And he became a major star at USF, went on to win the Olympic gold medal in Australia and then got drafted by the Celtics in '57. MARTIN: I have to tell you, you've done so many things - produced and directed and edited award-winning feature films and documentaries. He missed out on the NBAs Rookie of the Year award, ostensibly because teammate Tom Heinsohn had played the entire season whereas Russell had missed time as a result of his participation in the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games (where he helped the U.S. mens basketball team win a gold medal). 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