NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Over his 13 seasons in the league, the team played in 12 NBA finals, winning 11 of them. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! But the thing that Bill Russell was always focused on as a player was being a member of the Celtic family. He supported Muhammad Ali when the fighter refused to go to Vietnam. Over the course of his 13-year NBA career, Russell steered the club to 11 titles. NBA 35th Anniversary All-Time Team (1980). 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. You know, he didn't love the Boston fans. Bill Russel biography facts, childhood, net worth and personal life present a complete rundown of the profile, career and life from childhood to date, of the 12-time All-Star and 5-time NBA MVP. Russell anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 titles in 13 years. Beloved NBA legend Bill Russell has died at the age of 88, his family announced in a statement Sunday. When word of this got back to Bill Russell, he told his teammates something to the affect of "We're going to have to do something about that." This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: There was a full house in Kiel Auditorium on that night in December 1956. Jeannine is a former professional golfer and was often seen on Bills social media: In other news, Best Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury memes after undefeated Brit beats YouTuber. 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. Two years later, the couple welcomed a second son, 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. Do you know what I mean? .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. Like, how did he deal with all of that? The documentary features the last interview with Russell before his passing, as well as archived interviews throughout his life. 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. In 1956 Bill Russell entered the NBA draft. Bill Russells family announced his demise through a statement on Sunday, July 31. The family moved from Louisiana to Oakland during World War II due to employment opportunities for the blacks in the west at the time. On joining the Celtics during the mid-season, he made his professional debut against the St. Louis Hawks. Also at the end of the game Wilt Chamberlain was taken out of the game by unpopular coach Butch van Breda Kolff. The term Dynasty might have never applied to Basketball had it not been for Bill Russell. And thats what you must always do. Bob Campbell/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images. In the 1962/63 season, Russell was named the NBA Most Valuable Player and won the honour again the following year after winning the NBA championship again. At the age of 9 he moved to Oakland. Holds career playoff record for most rebounds (4,104, 24.9 rpg) in 165 games. In May 30, it was Former Basketball coach, Former Professional Basketball Player. As at 2020, Bill Russell is married to Jeannine Russell and the couple appears frequently together on his Instagram. It wasnt who I was.. However, they separated three years later in 1980. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. That story was part of a THREE-HOUR interview with Bill Russell that is preserved in the Library Of Congress. Never turned the trash cans over again.. 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. Over the years, Russells approach became the teams overall philosophy as athletic players who saw defense as a means to key the fast break were introduced into the roster. He was born on November 2, 1957 and worked for Cox Trucking for several years. His autobiography, Second Wind: The Memoirs of an Opinionated Man (cowritten with Taylor Branch), was published in 1979. She represented the USA atMiss Universe 1968in July, where she placed fourth runner-up. 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. 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. Astrological Sign: Aquarius, Death Year: 2022, Death date: July 31, 2022, Article Title: Bill Russell Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/bill-russell, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: August 11, 2022, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. The statement draws attention to his achievements and contributions outside the field over the years. Over the next several decades he periodically came back to the game as a coach or as an executive, but his teams failed to win with the kind of regularity he enjoyed as a player. The following season, Russell earned the NBA MVP award and helped the Celtics to another NBA final which they lost. 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. However, they divorced in 1973. He played alongside star point guard Bob Cousy for a number of years on the Celtics. Although possessing a perfect basketball height and huge hands to aid his efficiency, Bill Russell initially had struggles in understanding the game. He was a WebBill Russell February 12, 1934 Russell was born on February 12, 1934, to Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana. At the age of 9 he moved to Oakland. And finally today, we know it's all about football today, it being Super Bowl Sunday and all, but we're going to talk basketball for a minute to hear about one of the icons of that sport - Bill Russell. All-NBA Second Team (1958, 1960-1962, 1964, 1966-1968). There, his father initially worked as a truck driver and Bill Russell lost his mother at the age of 12. 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. She was born on January 20, 1962. If you have concerns about something that doesnt look right in this Bill Russell Biography Facts, Childhood, Net Worth, Life, please dont hesitate to contact us. 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. I mean, that famous photograph of the African American lawyer about to be, like, speared with a flag right downtown at city government center. We don't remember a lot of the abuse that he had to put up with earlier in his career. The Celtics who were supposedly way past their prime were led by Bill Russell to their eleventh championship, they were only the third team to repeat a championship, the first were the Minneapolis Lakers, and the second were the Boston Celtics. He retired in 1969 and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame six years later. Inducted into the Sport in Society Hall of Fame, 2000. But there was more to it than that: the white Heinsohn was simply a more attractive candidate for many voters. POLLARD: Well, I was approached by Ross Greenberg, who used to be the president of HBO Sports, about two years ago to get involved with the film as a director. You can swipe through the Instagram gallery below to see the videos and/or check out the full quotes below the Instagram post. Copyright 2008-2023 BroBible. Russell used his popularity to fight for civil rights and help others who were in a similar situation. 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. Bill was born to Katie and Charles Russell. You know, what - is there something in particular you're hoping people will draw from this film? The Celtics won a title in his rookie year, and he became the leagues first African American superstar, though not its first Black player (who was Earl Lloyd in 1956). Tim Reynolds is a national basketball writer for The Associated Press. | 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. A post shared by ProCity Hoops (@procityhoops). Bill Russells Mom Changed His Life Forever By Making Him Fight 5 Guys In The Projects To Learn A Lesson. Please logout and login again. And now Netflix is out with a new documentary. But I think this documentary will reset the clock on that and understand Bill from the other perspective, besides being a phenomenal basketball legend. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. 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. She is reportedly a legal and political analyst who graduated from Georgetown University and Harvard Law School. Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. Both Macauley and Hagan would eventually land in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, an indication of how highly Auerbach valued Russell. POLLARD: My pleasure, Michel. They were together from 1956 to 1973. Bill was only nine years old at the time. There was no doubt who the fans were yelling at. Considered one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history, William Felton Russell was born on February 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana. It would be a disservice an insult, really to look at Russell as only a basketball player, even as one of the greatest ever. And there was no hesitation on my part because I grew up in the '60s. Saw no point to them. William Felton Russell was born Feb. 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana, before his family moved west, settling in Oakland, California. The comedy centered on a family in Harlem and addressed both the political and generational conflicts of the time. WHO IS KAREEM ABDUL JABBARS EX WIFE? 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. Russell who began his professional career in the NBA in 1956 and ended it in 1969 with a total of eleven NBA championships won, is arguably one of the greatest basketball players of all time. However, it is reported that he lives with his wife Sara Marckx Russell in Washington State. It was, however, a milestone made possible by Russells performance and larger significance. NBA 25th Anniversary All-Time Team (1970). The Celtics legend had four wives during his life, and is now the focus of a Netflix documentary called Bill Russell: Legend. 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. (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. Universally recognized as one of the most accomplished athletes in professional sports history, NBA legend Bill Russell died Sunday. I mean, we all know that when he became a Celtic, he became the lynchpin that began this dynasty of the Boston Celtics. However, he still performed well as a player the following season and led the team to yet another NBA championship title. Following the 1969 season, Russell retired from the game. The NBA legend was 88 years old at the time of his death. On the day of Bill Russells private funeral, NBA announces its greatest honor: the permanent retirement of No. NBA Boston Celtics, player/head coach (1966-1969). 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 He would return and defeat the Sixers in 1968, in a hotly contested Conference Final series, and easily defeat the Lakers in the Finals. That was the way I conducted my life.. Thanks, mom. 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. Despite going through numerous struggles, he managed to stay strong and make the most out of the opportunity that was given to him. That same year, in the NBA draft, the Boston Celtics orchestrated a deal with the St. Louis Hawks and traded for the draft rights to the young center. His marriage with Rose produced 3 children of which one, Karen Russell is a renowned television pundit and lawyer. Bill Russell knew that basketball was not so much scoring, but keeping your opponent from scoring as well. In the wake of her passing he committed himself to his studies. Russell asked for a gun permit. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn commissions from purchases made on Amazon via our links. 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. Although the whole club and their supporters felt betrayed with Russells professional basketball demise, the Celtics board retired his #6 kit number 3 years after his retirement. They were together from 1956 to 1973. It is a truly staggering rate of success, one that no other NBA player has come close to approaching. His family fell into poverty and they moved into housing projects and thats where this story picks up. And so thats the kind of stuff I got from my mother.. Bill Russell achieved a lot during his life. Bill Russell: Legend is a new two-part Netflix documentary that covers the Boston greats triumphs on the court, and activism off of it. The NBA great Bill Russell has died at age 88. Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, who won 11 championships in 13 seasons with the team, The couple married in 2018 when Russell was 84. WebDON'T FORGET TO; SUBSCRIBE+LIKE+COMMENTBill Russell is an American retired professional basketball player, author, NBA legend, and a philanthropist. We go back to our place and Im crying. Russell was married three times. In 2011, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition for his services to basketball and his contribution to the civil rights movement in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. He helped start the National Basketball Players Association. For good measure, he might have had 12, had an ankle injury not sidelined him early in the 1958 NBA finals. The series airs on Wednesday, February 8, and fans want to know more about his personal life. After his retirement, he served as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics (197377) and the Sacramento Kings (198788), served as a commentator on television broadcasts of NBA games, and continued to remain active in social causes. Its impossible to tell the story of the NBA without also telling the story of Bill Russell. When we first moved to the projects, my mother was getting everything together. Two-time All-Conference, State, District and American. There were things you might take away from Bill Russell and say, wow, you know, for him to have - hold this grudge against Wilt Chamberlain for so many years. Off the court, he was a force in the fight for human He has been a very consistent player who has been struggling a Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory. All Rights Reserved. He was also inaugurated to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Basketball hall of fame in 1975. What happened to Lil Durk at Lollapalooza 2022? And on Sunday, the world lost an absolute legend. While studying at the McClymonds High School, he was introduced to basketball as he participated in the school team. At this point in his life, Russell noticed that basketball could change the problems of poverty and racism and then added more seriousness and passion to his play. Russell was married three times. William Felton Russell was born Feb. 12, 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana. He was born and brought up in a super-rich-class Catholic Christian family from West Monroe, Louisiana, United States. Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, and in 2011 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And one of them slapped me as they went by. But the way she took care of it was; okay, youre going to fight every 1 of them. The NBA great Bill Russell has died at age 88. The world has many of them. In college, the 6-foot 9-inch (2.06-metre) Russell blossomed, providing a defensive presence that helped lead USF to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in 1955 and 1956. The teams coach, Red Auerbach, coveted Russell as the missing piece to what he believed could be a championship roster. This intensity not only paid off in the Olympics, and in college, but it would have an immediate impact in the NBA. The NBA legend was a victim of racism, and not even his basketball fame helped him. 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