Russell wrote often about his coaching philosophy and experiences in the Boston Globe and heres one passage: I tell all the guys shooting is only one part of the game. If a guy pays you five dollars, you give him seven dollars worth of work. Russell was a no-nonsense coach during games and behind the scenes, and he never hesitated to tell his players how he really felt. There are other parts of the game which are just as important. James posted the clip on his social channels. Bill Russell Born on February 12, 1934, William Felton Russell was a former basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. I never was that good anyway.. That last title was so hard, it was in L.A. and everything was against us. Therefore, out of necessity and also by request, coaching came calling again. They won just 48 games and werent the favorite heading into the playoffs. Reynolds added the Sacramento experience shouldnt reflect on Russells body of work. By signing up, you agree to the Bill Russell, the legendary NBA star who died Sunday at age 88, loved to play golf and to meet other celebrity golfers - including games with Michael Jordan. 2023 Being a player-coach, unheard of today, wasnt exactly a novelty then. Bill vs. Wilt. My heart wasnt too friendly about that, he said. Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during basketball season. Saw no point to them. Russells impact was immediate. He got up and just broke into laughter. On Saturday, Sept. 11, Russell will be enshrined for a second time alongside Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh, Chris Webber, Ben Wallace, and more. What about (Bill) Sharman?. Russell has been in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame since 1975, but hes about to become just the third person in NBA history to be inducted as both a player and a coach. There is nothing miraculous about the process. To me, the most important part of winning is joy. When Russell had surgery to replace a valve in his heart, he was on the golf course just about every day. As a dedicated human rights activist, Russell fought against racial inequality. He helped start the National Basketball Players Association. Case in point: The apparent invasion of raccoons into Reading, Massachusetts around 1958. Russell won more NBA titles than any player in history.. NBA legend Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and the first Black head coach in the league, passed away Sunday, July 31, according to a family statement from his. Share. A lot of times I'm completely wrong, but all you do is back up and start over. Both Macauley and Hagan would eventually land in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, an indication of how highly Auerbach valued Russell. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot. The 2021 enshrinement ceremony will be held Sept. 11. Erving told the story of how he played golf with Russell, and . Instant access to the latest news, videos and photos from around the world of golf. Tweet. Corrections? Nelson said Russell wasnt strict or over-the-top demanding; quite the contrary, actually. Russell was reading The New York Times, and Celtics coach Red Auerbach suggested he meet the player then known as Lew Alcindor. Added Nelson: "He was the whole package great guy, great player, great coach. Bill Russell, byname of William Felton Russell, (born February 12, 1934, Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.died July 31, 2022), American basketball player who was the first outstanding defensive centre in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and one of the sport's greatest icons. The NBA Hall of Famer, considered by many to be the sport's greatest player (and certainly big man) of all-time, is best known for winning 11 championships. Commitment separates those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered. During his career, Russell supported the American civil rights movement, spoke out against the Vietnam War, and did much that, had it come from any lesser athlete, would have been cause for immediate controversy. And that day, just as he did in that high school gym a half-century earlier, Russell called Abdul-Jabbar kid., Theres a whole lot more truth and love and respect for my 60-year relationship with Bill Russell, Abdul-Jabbar said. And so, to do this took thought, planning and discretion and intelligence. He defined the teams philosophy and its strategy. And no All-Star Game will mean more to a local economy than this one, Silver said, with a $280 million estimated impact from the weekend on Salt Lake City businesses. I loved that guy.. Bill Russell. And a whole lot of players, too. Take a look at St. Andrews, Scotland through the eyes of someone who once called The Home of Golf home. 2023 Bill Russell is most known for his legendary NBA playing career in which he won five league MVPs and a record 11 championships with the Boston Celtics. 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. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) This was the first All-Star weekend since the death of 11-time champion, Hall of Fame player and Hall of Fame coach Bill Russell. Reynolds summed up the Bill Russell coaching experience in Boston, Seattle and Sacramento with this: Were all flawed and he had his flaws, but I have nothing but respect for Bill Russell. Then there's the averaged-a-triple-double club, which includes only Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook. As always, the stars were out for All-Star. The Memphis forward sustained the injury Friday night during the 1st quarter of the Grizzlies 113-97 loss to the Nuggets. A Hall of Famer on the court, and now a Hall of Famer on the sideline. When a player spoke up and called out Russell, he only doubled down on his stance. Russell, while no behemoth, was tall enough to make his high school team on height alone. It was a treasure for me to be around Bill and see how he viewed the world in all of its dimensions.. A fierce competitor who never relaxed against the other team, Russell had a far different demeanor when it came to coaching his own team. Russell averaged . Fans are debating the GOAT of major pro sports, with many suggesting Tom Brady or Michael Jordan. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) This was the first All-Star weekend since the death of 11-time champion, Hall of Fame player and Hall of Fame coach Bill Russell. The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting. Nous, Yahoo, faisons partie de la famille de marques Yahoo. Pour en savoir plus sur la faon dont nous utilisons vos donnes personnelles, veuillez consulter notre politique relative la vie prive et notre politique en matire de cookies. 6 at midcourt and all players wearing it on their jerseys. No one dominated on defense, won titles like Bill Russell, Morant to miss two games after video with gun, Curry, Iguodala probable to return vs. Lakers, Sources: Suns hiring Pistons' Bartelstein as CEO, Grizzlies' Clarke tore Achilles, out for season, Kerr touts 5-0 homestand: Dubs 'turned a corner', KD: Mavs tilt, Kyrie meeting 'just another game', Sources: Dragic joining Bucks for rest of season, Nets filling out big-man depth with Noel signing, The paths of KD and Kyrie: How one month changed three franchises and two superstar legacies. While Russell contributed significantly on offense, his identity was tied to his defensive performance. (Larry Siegfried, a reserve, did help with some bench duties. That ratio cant be beat in any sport. Fellow NBA great, Steph Curry, former President Barack Obama and more famous figures in the sports world and beyond, took to social media following the news of Russell's passing. All-time great. I grew up idolizing him. Born in West Monroe, La., in 1934, Russell's early life experiences paralleled those of tens of thousands of other African-Americans. We really identify with each other because we know each other.. They lost in the playoffs to the Philadelphia 76ers and Wilt Chamberlain, the only time Russell would taste defeat against his rival. Russell joins Tom Heinsohn, Bill Sharman and Lenny Wilkens as the only NBA players and coaches in the Hall of Fame (Legendary UCLA coach John Wooden is also double-honored for his work.). Not just as one of the greatest basketball players to ever live, but as the man who taught me how to be bigger as a player, and as a man.. Before his arrival, the Celtics had been a shot-happy, nearly out-of-control team, led by passing wizard Bob Cousy. . Stay up to date with everything Boston. Bill Russell: Legend begins in July 2022 with Russell's death, before charting a very linear course through his life, from his birth in Louisiana to his move to Oakland as part of the Great . There was a huge crowd of fans on the floor for the halftime show. Bill Russell had a more than successful transition from star player to player-coach. Aug 16, 2022. Abdul-Jabbar called Russell my friend, my mentor, my role model. He was 14 when he first met Russell and the initial greeting wasnt overly friendly; the Celtics were using the gym at Power Memorial in New York, Abdul-Jabbars high school, for practice. Russell at 34 wasnt dominant and the league saw younger big men Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld, Nate Thurmond among them challenge Russell nightly. Russell had a staff of one. Bill Russell, who has more NBA rings than fingers, talks titles and golf in For the Record. She finished 64th at the Canadian Women's Tour in British Columbia and 19th at the . In one instance during his lone season in charge of the Sacramento Kings, he actually dozed off during a practice and angrily blamed his players for being too boring to keep him awake. Success is a result of consistent practice of winning skills and actions. It wasnt who I was.. Russell, who died Sunday at the age of 88, won 11 NBA titles, two NCAA championships and an Olympic gold medal during his career as the defensive force and the centerpiece of the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1960s. So hes sitting down, hes reading the paper, and all of the sudden I look over and you see him sleeping at practice. (Denise Truscello/WireImage), Ethel Kennedy and Bill Russell attend the 22nd annual RFK Center Golf Tournament at the Hyannisport, Ethel Kennedy and Bill Russell attend the 22nd annual RFK Center Golf Tournament at the Hyannisport Golf Club in 2011 in Hyannis Port, Mass. Auerbachs lineup came out of necessity; he was notoriously indifferent to social causes and the opposing backlash. Great for the country. But not everyone remembers he also won two NBA titles in eight seasons as a head coach. Russell stressed the tactics that made his Boston teams successful: defense, sacrifice, finding the open man. And then I got to meet Bill Russell. Russell bought a home on Mercer Island where he lives to this day. Both of these are second. In Maryland in the 1990s and early 2000s, he was Mr. Jones, substitute teacher. He was the most important person in the franchise, and he wanted to do it. On April 18th, 1966, Bill Russell was named player-coach of the Boston Celtics upon Red Auerbach's retirement. Russell didnt have as much success when he returned to the sideline in 1987 to take over the Kings. When he finally bought himself a left-handed set, Russell scratched his competitive itch in matches against friends. Bill Russell. The thing that strikes me most about them is how they continue to explore and learn every day. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Thats what I did, Russell said in 2009. He kinda stumbles and everyone laughs, and hes like, Everybody out of practice! He left for a road trip and his garbage cans got turned over. "And if you think that wasn't enough, then we had another seven games against them in the playoffs, if it went seven games. A lot of people say great players dont make great coaches. Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory. If he was out dining and got approached by someone asking for his signature, Russells usual response was to instead ask the person to join him at the table to have a conversation about life. He was the first African-American player to have gained superstar status. Bill Russell's House. The meaning of it all definitely registered with Russell, a man of great pride, and how he was put in position of authority and placed in charge of a Celtics team with five white players and six Black players (not counting him). Like. Russell was lightly recruited by colleges, but Hal DeJulio, a former player at the nearby University of San Francisco (USF), had seen him play and had an inkling as to his potential, so he recommended Russell to his old school. And in Bills case, he was the leader of the Celtics from the time he joined the team and the main reason they won all those championships., There was another unusual Celtics arrangement with Russell thats totally foreign now: He didnt have any assistant coaches. I dont like to single out guys in public. It wasnt at all what I expected, Hill said. Jeannine Russell rose to fame after marrying NBA legend Bill Russell but is a former professional golfer. 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. Yet somehow, Russell won his 11th ring after Boston took a thrilling Game 7. 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. I immediately put them in the garage, said Russell, who didnt retrieve them for years, until after he had hung up his basketball shoes. Nelson said Russell remained even keel through the best and worst of times during each season, and likes to tell how Russell reacted after a particularly (and rare) Celtics collapse. Yet in a sport that traditionally celebrates scoring and offensive heroics, Russell was an anomaly: a dominant player for whom making shots was truly secondary. Howard Beck. He won 11 NBA titles in the 13 seasons that he played with the Boston Celtics, and he became the first African American coach of a modern major professional sports team in the United States when he was named the player-coach of the Celtics in 1966. The Celtics were beyond fortunate to draft Russell out of San Francisco in 1956 -- they built a dynasty around the rangy center, and dominated the sport until his retirement in 1969. A collection of moments during and after Barack Obama's presidency. If you do not have it, forget about basketball and go into social psychology or something. Jokic doesn't care about being added to either of those . His rookie deal was $24000. NBA.com is part of Warner Media, LLCs Turner Sports & Entertainment Digital Network, *Translations are limited to select pages, Webber's path to Springfield ran through Sacramento, Pierce, Bosh headline 2021 Hall of Fame class, Kobe tribute adds layer to 2020 HOF ceremony, 5 stats to know for 76ers-Bucks matchup on ABC, Brooks suspended after receiving 16th technical foul, Grizzlies' Clarke (torn achilles) out indefinitely, Ja issues apology, will miss 'at least' 2 games, Ex-NBA player Morrow facing assault charges, Durant passes 'Big O' for 13th in career points. And on Sunday, the world lost an absolute legend. Reynolds noted that Russell was a victim of bad timing as well. The halftime concert featured three Nigerian artists Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer Burna Boy, Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated singer Tems and rapper Rema doing an Afrobeats-themed performance. Russell was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1955. The most important measure of how good a game I played was how much better Id made my teammates play. Russell asked for a gun permit. Bill Russell with Lee Elder. If a guy pays you five dollars, you give him seven dollars worth of work. Seeing Zhuris reaction to that moment was pretty, pretty cool.". Antiques, Quality Furniture, Art, a Gun Safe, excellent kitchenware and some fantastic tools! One such round during Jordan and the Bulls heyday produced one of the best smack-talk stories and making the tale even better, Jordan, for once, was on the receiving end. Counting the regular season and the playoffs, Russell's Celtics were 86-57 against Wilt Chamberlain's teams, for a .600 winning percentage. Russell was a bit eccentric; he rarely spoke to the local media and was viewed by players none of whom saw him play as a grandfatherly type who was fond of telling Celtics tales in team meetings. If yall wasnt so damn boring I wouldnt be sleeping here!, Bill Russell Told Michael Jordan to His Face That His Celtics Played in a Tougher Era Than Did MJs Bulls. The Grizzlies say their star guard will be away from the team for 'at least' the next 2 games. His autobiography, Second Wind: The Memoirs of an Opinionated Man (cowritten with Taylor Branch), was published in 1979. In some ways, Russell still considered himself one of the guys, which, of course, he was. Bill Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2011. . As a coach, hed be a complete neophyte whod also double as a player. Tonight, Bill Russell will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2019 ESPYs, which honor the biggest and best stars in the world of sports. Russell, the greatest winner in the history of team sports, died Sunday at 88. Hill spoke of how he had heard plenty about Russell his commitment to social justice and civil rights, an unwillingness to be deterred by threats, and his pride in standing alongside other athletes committed to the same, everyone from Muhammad Ali to Colin Kaepernick. July 31, 2022 1 Bill Russell hated autographs. Bill Russell may be best known for his remarkable run as the star and eventually coach of the dynastic Boston Celtics, but his basketball legend began in the Bay Area.Russell arrived on the campus . Wilt Chamberlain entered the NBA for the 1959-60 season and began an epic 10-year rivalry with Russell. Smith once told a hilarious story about a time Russell actually dozed off during practice and blamed his players (2:47-3:18 in the video above). He won five MVP awards, tied for second-most with Michael Jordan, one behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbars league record. Ben Wallace joins 9 inductees headed to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. His next and final coaching stop wasnt successful at all, and rather short: Russell signed a seven-year contract to coach the Sacramento Kings in 1987 and was fired after a 17-41 start. Golf was merely an excuse to get together and tell stories, ones that would often bring Russells loud and distinct cackle when he found something humorous. The NBA back then wasnt the complicated, detailed and hierarchy-layered machine it is today, where coaching candidates go through a gauntlet of executives and a battery of tests to dissect their smarts and strategy and fit for the job. 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. He recorded a winning record in five of his first seven seasons as a head coach, so when he started losing games in bunches in Sacramento, he began to lose interest. Coach Russell really didnt run practice that much. Russells death was announced on his Twitter account, saying he passed away peacefully today at age 88, with his wife, Jeannine, by his side. He was the star of the Boston Celtics dynasty in the 1950s and 60s, and he later became a voice of social justice as well as taking up golf. Looking at 5 key stats heading into Saturday's clash between top East teams Philadelphia and Milwaukee. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) The clubs that Nikola Jokic might be on the cusp of entering are highly exclusive. By the 1966-67 NBA season, Russell had already won eight championships with the Celtics in nine seasons. (Tom) Heinsohn? All rights reserved. You can e-mail himhere, findhis archive hereand follow him onTwitter. Being fearless on the basketball court was easy. This was the first All-Star weekend since the death of 11-time champion, Hall of Fame player and Hall of Fame coach Bill Russell. Frustratingly, his sheer basketball excellence made his actions not only excusable for fans but tolerated in a way that bordered on dismissive. The raccoons heard about that, Russell said. Several players were on the court for the performance, including Pascal Siakam and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Wilkens held that role with the Seattle SuperSonics and Portland Trail Blazers and he laughed recently at the thought of that happening today. His conversation with Bill Russell, from various accounts, went like this: Bill, you think Cooz (Bob Cousy) would be a good coach? Instant access to the latest news, videos and photos from around the world of golf. For some reason David and his producer have never . So Bill Russell was a very keep-it-real coach, Smith concluded. Russell's 24.87 boards per game in the playoffs is first on the all-time list. The idea is not to block every shot. In terms of the magnitude of All-Star, this is our largest in our history, he said. Heart in champions has to do with the depth of our motivation and how well your mind and body react to pressure - that is, being able to do what you do best under maximum pain and stress. He was kinda like Bear Bryant. He had an interesting concept with me as a rookie, Smith once said on Open Court. Bill Russell not only transformed the center position during his career at the University of San Francisco, he was also a passionate spokesman for social and racial injustice throughout his career . The Hall of Famer was 88. The 6-foot-10 center was a five-time MVP, 12-time All-Star, two-time NCAA champ at the University of San Francisco and an Olympic gold medalist in 1956. In the case of Who Will Succeed The Legendary Red Auerbach, it was even more simplistic and automatic: Bill Russell was the only logical choice. But the Celtics kept winning, and he remained the engine that made them go. Bill Russell, the legendary NBA star who died Sunday at age 88, loved to play golf and to meet other celebrity golfers including games with Michael Jordan.

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