Russell, Bill (b. 1934)

Professional basketball player

Bill Russell is considered by many to be the greatest team athlete of the twentieth century. In thirteen seasons with the legendary Boston Celtics, he led the team to eleven championships, including one stretch of eight straight. Russell was the spiritual and physical leader of the Celtic's dynasty. As an individual, Russell redefined the center position and dominated games by playing intense defense and rebounding. Rather than selfishly worrying about personal statistics, he fit his own amazing skills into the team concept. He ultimately made those around him better, [Page 1366]forcing his teammates to match his level of intensity and will to win.

In one of the most intense sports rivalries of all time, Bill Russell of the Celtics defends against Wilt Chamberlain of the Lakers in a championship series game on 27 April 1969 at the Boston Garden.

Corbis; used by permission.

Born in Monroe, Louisiana, in 1934, Russell grew up during the Depression and experienced the stifling segregation of West Monroe. His father, Charles, who had also been raised in the state, had known former slaves as a boy. Russell's mother, Katie, instilled in him the competitive fire that would make him such an outstanding athlete. When Russell was nine years old, a boy in a gang slapped him as he walked home. His mother's response was to make him fight each boy, one after the other. That incident taught Russell that—win or lose—he had to fight back.

Katie expected Bill and his older brother, Charlie Jr., not only to graduate from high school, but also to go to college. Unfortunately, Katie would never see either. She died of kidney failure in 1946, when she was only thirty-two years old. Her dying words to Charles were to make sure the boys went to college.

The family relocated to Oakland, California, after Charles was denied a raise at the mill in Louisiana because he was black. The Russell brothers flourished in their new home. Charlie Jr. eventually graduated from college and became a playwright and social worker. Bill excelled in the classroom, but was a late bloomer on the basketball court. The turning point for the gangly boy was when the University of San Francisco offered him a scholarship. Coach Phil Woolpert was skeptical, but agreed to take him on.

Woolpert endured harsh criticism for starting three black players, but the USF team won its first NCAA title in 1955. Almost immediately, Russell changed the way the game was played. He blocked shots in an era when defensive players were taught not to jump. The next year, the team once again won the championship. Russell and Hall of Fame teammate K.C. Jones led the team to fifty-five straight wins. After winning the second championship, Russell led the 1956 Olympic basketball team to the gold medal. He dictated the pace of play while on defense, both altering and blocking shots.

A passionate and ferocious competitor, Russell gave his all out on the court. He worked himself into a competitive frenzy, often throwing up before big games. After the grueling NBA playoffs, Russell needed several weeks to recover from the ache in his bones. In Russell's professional career, he was named MVP of the league five times (1958, 1961–1963, 1965). In addition, he was a twelve-time All-Star and won many other accolades. In 1996, he was named one of the fifty greatest players of all time as the NBA celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. Over his career, Russell averaged an astounding 22.5 rebounds per game and 15.1 points per game.

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