While there is still progress to be made, the Hall of Famer should get a lot of credit for fighting against what was wrong. Says Bill Russell: "Basketball is a game that involves a great deal of psychology. [101], In the 196768 NBA season, the 34-year-old Russell averaged 12.5 points per game and 18.6 rebounds per game,[1] the latter of which was good enough for the third-highest average in the league. Russell, who was sensitive to any racial prejudice, was enraged by the fact that owner Abe Saperstein would only discuss the matter with Woolpert. On July 31, 2022, shetweeteda series of pictures with her late father, captioned: "Keanu Reeves on death, 'I know that the ones who love us will miss us.'". 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. That did not happen My junior year in college, I had what I thought was the one of the best college seasons ever. Bill Russell was born to Charles and Katie Russell on February 12, 2022, in West Monroe, Louisiana. [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. Bill Russell is survived by three children: Jacob, William Russell Jr, and Karen. Bill Russell, the legendary Celtics center who was the cornerstone of basketball's greatest dynasty and an exemplar of racial harmony and progress, died Sunday at age 88, his family announced on . NBA great Bill Russell, who anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13 years, died . He made a free throw, blocked a shot by Sixers player Chet Walker, grabbed a rebound off a miss by Greer, and passed the ball to teammate Sam Jones, who scored to clinch the win. [55] Russell's first Celtics game came on December 22, 1956, against the St. Louis Hawks, led by star forward Bob Pettit, who would go on to hold several all-time scoring records. Russell, who once said he owed the public nothing,[109] was not there; he ended his career and cut all ties to the Celtics. Russell's Celtics went 5737 in the regular season against Chamberlain's teams and 2920 in the playoffs, Chamberlain's losing seven of the eight series. ADVERTISEMENT. Bill Russell Lifestyle 2021 Wife, Children, Family, Career, Net worth, Car & House-Bill Russell Regarded as one of the best ever players in the history of . K. C. Jones did not play for the Celtics until 1958 because of military service. In 1977, Bill Russell married his 2nd wife, Dorothy Anstett, who had won the Miss USA beauty pageant in 1968. "[214], In 1966, Russell was promoted to head coach of the Celtics. [19] While there, they fell into poverty and Russell spent his childhood living in a series of public housing projects. Karen is Bill's most well known child, and the only daughter from his union with Rose. Chamberlain often invited Russell over for Thanksgiving dinner; at Russell's place, conversation mostly concerned Russell's electric trains. [211], Chamberlain outscored Russell 30 to 14.2 and outrebounded him 28.2 to 22.9 in the regular season, and he also outscored him 25.7 to 14.9 and outrebounded him 28 to 24.7 in the playoffs. 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. Still, there was constantly a flow of people from Louisiana that my father would let stay with us. She was born on January 20, 1962. Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and the first Black head coach in a major American sports league, died July 31. [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. The psychology is to make the offensive team deviate from their normal habits. He's the guy who whipped us psychologically. Bill Russell's family announced his demise through a statement on Sunday, July 31. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Bill Russell and Rose with their son, William Felton Jr, in 1958, Former Boston Celtics basketball star Bill Russell alongside his daughter, Karen Kenyatta Russell, England win Women's Euro 2022 LIVE REACTION: Party at Trafalgar Square as thousands celebrate, Queen sends praise, Proud captain Williamson vows to lap up England's Euros triumph and calls on fans to go to WSL games, We should be cheering on female footie stars in the same way we support the men, Women's football will never be the same again thanks to Lionesses' extraordinary victory, Adam Peaty stunned at Commonwealth Games as Brit hero loses 100m race for first time EVER and misses medal, England's Lionesses roar with pride as they celebrate their history-making Euro 2022 triumph. [131] On June 18, 2007, Russell was inducted as a member of the founding class of the FIBA Hall of Fame. [3] Russell is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. She already does volunteer work as a tutor for underprivileged children in her hometown.. The champion marched with Martin Luther King for civil rights. 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, according to a family statement from his . He was notorious for his public surliness and judgmental attitude towards others. 6 months ago. Russell . Awards . Because Russell ignored virtually any well-wisher who approached him home or away, including the vast majority of media, his autograph was among the most difficult to secure of any professional athlete of his time. Off the court, Bill Russell paved the way for guys like me." Russell, a 6-foot-10 center, also won the NBA regular season MVP award five times while averaging 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds and 4.3 . [107], Days later, 30,000 Celtics fans cheered their returning heroes. [86] The Celtics reached the 1963 NBA Finals,[87] where they again defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, this time in six games. This was in contrast to other Celtics who had to work during the offseason to maintain their standard of living; Tom Heinsohn sold insurance, Gene Guarilia was a professional guitar player, Cousy ran a basketball camp, and Red Auerbach invested in plastics and a Chinese restaurant. Bill Russell was the father of four children from three different women. It thus comes as no surprise that she often shares her memories with them on her social media platforms, as seen below, all the while fulfilling her duties as a writer, voting advocate, public speaker, and consultant. Brown contacted Rochester owner Les Harrison and received an assurance that the Royals could not afford Russell, and they would draft Sihugo Green. He led the San Francisco Dons to two consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956,[4] and he captained the gold-medal winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics. His time as a non-player coach was lackluster; he led the struggling SuperSonics into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, but Russell's defensive, team-oriented Celtics mindset did not mesh well with the team, and he left in 1977 with a 162166 record. At the time of his death, Bill was married to his fourth wife, Jeannine. Oliver Hudson. The NBA has seen countless legendary players throughout its history, but there are a select few who have truly stood out as the greatest of all time. 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. . Powered by. William Felton Russell was born on February 12, 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana. It was back when both Rose and Bill were attending the University of San Francisco in the early to mid-1950s that they first came across one another, only to feel a real spark almost immediately. 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. In addition to his career accomplishments, Russell was a prominent human rights activist in sports. We won the National Championship. "[22], During his early years, Russell struggled to develop his skills as a basketball player. [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". [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. . August 2, 2022. His wife name is Jeannine Russell. . "[204] Russell was also known for his natural authority. [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. [202] Later in Russell's career, John Havlicek said of his teammate and coach that he threw up less often than early in his career, only doing so "when it's an important game or an important challenge for himsomeone like Chamberlain, or someone coming up that everyone's touting. 6 to be retired across NBA following legend's death last month", "Chat Transcript: Celtics Legend Bill Russell", "Russell 'So good, he scares you' Mikan", "Bill Russell Named Boston Celtic Coach; Basketball Star To Draw $125,001 Salary a Record for a Pro Coach or Manager He'll Take over Next Season", "Who's Better At Hoops: Bill Russell Or Frank Robinson? Bill Russell's age is 89 years old as of today's date 3rd March 2023 having been born on 12 February 1934. . [117] He finished with a 341290 regular season record and was 3427 in the playoffs. "[5][121] On November 3, 1979, Russell hosted Saturday Night Live, in which he appeared in several sports-related sketches. [136] He was named as a 2010 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. [49] On offense, Russell's output was limited and his NBA career personal averages show him to be an average scorer (15.1 points career average), a poor free-throw shooter (56.1%), and average overall shooter from the field (44%, not exceptional for a center). Celtics owner Walter A. Around that time, according to John Taylors book, The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden Age of Basketball, they grew emotionally distant and divorced. Russell has always worn a jersey with No. Today, Karen is 57 years old. Advertisement. Here's what we know about his kids and family. The owner of the Hawks called Auerbach later and demanded more in the trade. To our children . [174][175][176] During the spring of 2015, two statues of children were added, honoring Russell's commitment to working with children. Fri 5 Aug 2022 10.44 EDT. He shares all three of his children with his first wife and college sweetheart, Rose Swisher, whom he divorced in 1973. The NBA legend was married Rose Swisher, his college sweetheart, from 1956 to 1973. 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. [115] He attended his 2021 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. Thank you for . Karen graduated from Harward Law School and has dissected high-profile trials and national political issues. -~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Please watch: "FULL KYRIE IRVING and GORDON HAYWARD CELTICS Press Conference" youtube.com/watch?v=f7FoDj4-Nzw -~-~~-~~~-~~-~-, Karen Rusell penned an article for the New York Times. When the Sixers' Hall-of-Fame guard Hal Greer inbounded, Havlicek stole the ball, causing Celtics commentator Johnny Most to scream: "Havlicek stole the ball! Boston Celtics Legend Bill Russell Receives the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2019 ESPYs Other spaces in the house include a media room and a recreation room. Bill Russell Speaks at Ceremony for New Statue, For the unveiling of the new statue in Boston City Hall Plaza, Bill Russell speaks about his career as both an athlete and activist, as well as the importance of mentoring and friendship. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Bill Russell achieved a lot during his life. Bill Russell's selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame for his coaching career was announced on May 16, 2021. . Frank Robinson, a future member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, was one of Russell's high school basketball teammates. [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. [2] Russell and Henri Richard of the National Hockey League are tied for the record of the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. In May 30, it was announced that the former Celtics player would be receiving the Arthur Ashe Award at the ESPYs. [5], Despite his limitations on offense, as Russell averaged 15.1 points per game, his rebounding, defense, and leadership made him one of the dominant players of his era. The fans could do or think whatever they wanted. [20] Russell was closer to his mother Katie than to his father,[20] and he received a major emotional blow when she suddenly died when he was 12 years old. Bill Russell with his coach, Red Auerbach, in December 1964 after scoring his 10,000th career point in a game in Boston Garden. [143][156] Russell is universally seen as one of the best NBA players ever,[5] and he was declared "Greatest Player in the History of the NBA" by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America in 1980. William Felton Russell was born in Monroe, Louisiana, a small agricultural community where his parents were subjected to the constant indignities that were the lot of African Americans in the Deep South at the time. [154] He was selected three times to the All-NBA First Teams (1959, 1963, 1965) and eight Second Teams (1958, 196062, 1964, 196668), and was a 12-time NBA All-Star (19581969). He was born on November 2, 1957 and worked for Cox Trucking for several years. Russell made himself eligible for the 1956 NBA draft. [56] Russell never had to work part-time. One makes himself look good at the expense of the other guys on the floor. [183] Russell was married to Jeannine Russell at the time of his death. The Lakers featured new recruit Chamberlain next to perennial stars Baylor and West, and were the favorites. Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. [126] Russell's Rules was published in 2001, and he convinced Miami Heat superstar center Shaquille O'Neal to bury the hatchet with fellow NBA superstar and former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant and end the ShaqKobe feud in January 2006. Both Cousy and Russell called it the greatest Celtics team of all-time. Nothing went on outside the borders of the court. The 61-year-old is a legal and political analyst who graduated from Georgetown University and Harvard Law School.. She is a media person, lawyer, and Black-rights activist who has also contributed to publications like The New York Times Magazine. [216] He was quoted as saying: "From my very first year I thought of myself as playing for the Celtics, not for Boston. [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". [85] On February 10, 1963, Russell recorded his first regular season triple-double after putting up 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 129123 win over the New York Knicks.