Auerbach replied that Gottlieb's statements were "absolutely ridiculous" and said any controversy was "a question of sour grapes". Bill Russell's Siblings His only sibling is Charlie L. Russell. 4 in ESPN's list of the top 74 NBA players of all time, the second best center behind Abdul-Jabbar and ahead of Chamberlain. [56] Russell's defense was called into question by Eddie Gottlieb, coach of the Philadelphia Warriors, after the WarriorsCeltics game on January 1, 1957, in which he recorded 17 points and 25 rebounds, plus an assist. [185] His older brother was the noted playwright Charlie L. -~-~~-~~~-~~-~- 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. In these eleven games, Russell averaged 18.3 points and 29.4 rebounds. [79] Game 7 was tied one second before the end of regular time, when Lakers guard Rod Hundley faked a shot and passed out to Frank Selvy, who missed an open eight-foot last-second shot that would have won Los Angeles the title. I could always be myself with them and they were always there for me. These statues were modeled by a local boy from Somerville and multiple girls from the surrounding area. BOSTON (AP) Bill Russell, the NBA great who anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13 years the last two as the first Black head coach in any major U.S. sport and. ", "Bill Russell, K.C. During a conversation with students, a reporterunknown to Russellheard Russell describe Chamberlain as a malingerer and accused him of "copping out" of the game when it seemed that the Lakers would lose. [104] After losing for the fifth straight time against Russell and the Celtics, Hall-of-Fame Lakers guard Jerry West stated: "If I had a choice of any basketball player in the league, my No. [5] Auerbach's thoughts were unorthodox, as in that period centers and forwards were defined by their offensive output, and their ability to play defense was secondary. "[30] The NCAA rewrote rules in response to Russell's dominant play; the lane was widened for his junior year. [118] Russell then served as general manager of the Kings during the 198889 season. He Had Three Children with His First Wife Together, Russell and Swisher had three children: daughter Karen, and sons William Jr. and. This was the first time in seven years that he failed to average at least 23 rebounds a game. After the loss, he led his grandfather through the Celtics locker rooms and the two saw the white Celtic Havlicek taking a shower next to his black teammate Sam Jones and discussing the game. My wife and Russell's laugh. William Felton Russell Jr., also known as "Buddha," lost a courageous battle with cancer. What do we know about Russells personal life? Together, Russell and Swisher had three children: daughter Karen, and sons William Jr. and Jacob. [169], In 2013, Boston honored Russell by erecting a statue of him on City Hall Plaza. And that's the kind of guy [Brown] was. Still, there was constantly a flow of people from Louisiana that my father would let stay with us. @NBA: The great Bill Russell joins the fellas, live on . She's also provided commentary on the high-profile cases of NBA players like Kobe Bryant and Jayson Williams. Constantly provoked by New York Knicks center Ray Felix during a game, he complained to coach Auerbach, who told him to take matters into his own hands. [115] He attended his 2021 induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach. On Sunday, July 31, Russell's family shared the news in a statement via Twitter, sharing . With the added defensive presence of Russell, the Celtics had laid the foundation for a dynasty, as the team utilized a strong defensive approach to the game, forcing opposing teams to commit many turnovers, which led to many easy points on fast breaks. Russell limited Chamberlain to only two shot attempts in the second half. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities, and he led the NBA in rebounds four times, had a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds,[12] and remains second all time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. [220] On November 15, 2019, Russell accepted the Hall of Fame ring in a private ceremony with family. In 2014, after the unveiling of his statue at City Hall in Boston, Russell spoke a bit about his parents and what his life was like growing up. Russell responded to the honor by tweeting, Just found out I will be receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. [109][219], Russell refused to attend the ceremony when his jersey No. The 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and the first Black head coach in the league Bill Russell passed away at the age of 88 on Sunday. [56] He also became famous for his shot-blocking skills and pundits called his blocks "Wilsonburgers", referring to the Wilson NBA basketballs he "shoved back into the faces of opposing shooters". 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. He lived his young life with his parents in Indiana and with his grandmother (Mammy) in Lebanon, Tennessee. Russell anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 titles in 13 years. [59] In the highly-competitive Game 7, Russell tried his best to slow down Pettit, as Heinsohn scored 37 points and kept the Celtics alive;[59] Russell contributed by completing the famous "Coleman Play", as he ran down Hawks forward Jack Coleman, who had received an outlet pass at midcourt, and blocked his shot despite the fact that Russell had been standing at his own baseline when the ball was thrown to Coleman. "[49], Duiring the 196869 NBA season, Russell was shocked by the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, disillusioned by the Vietnam War, and weary from his increasingly stale marriage to his wife Rose; the couple later divorced. [20], At USF, Russell became the new starting center for coach Phil Woolpert of the San Francisco Dons. He was born on November 2, 1957 and worked for Cox Trucking for several years. In Game 4, the Celtics were trailing by one point with seven seconds left and the Lakers had the ball until Baylor stepped out of bounds. During a press conference, Russell was asked: "As the first Negro head coach in a major league sport, can you do the job impartially without any racial prejudice in reverse?" He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. [1] Before the January 31, 1963, 18-point, 22-rebound performance in a 128125 win against the Cincinnati Royals at Cole Field House in College Park, Maryland,[83] the Celtics were to tour the White House and Russell had a "Do not disturb" sign on his phone. [153] 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). In the 1959 NBA Finals, the Celtics recaptured the NBA title, sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers 40. [19] Russell's father was once refused service at a gas station until the staff had taken care of all the white customers first. Russell held Chamberlain to a pair of field goals in the first three quarters of Game 3. The teams split the first six games. In the interim, Russell won an Olympic gold medal in 1956. [124], Russell made few public appearances in the early 1990s, living as a near-recluse on Mercer Island, Washington, near Seattle. Despite going through numerous struggles, he managed to stay strong and make the most out of the opportunity that was given to him. However, Russell fought a long and tough battle off the court as well. Heinsohn felt that Russell resented him because the former was named the 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year. [1] On March 11, 1965, in a 112100 win over the Detroit Pistons, Russell grabbed 49 rebounds, which tied for the third-most in a single game in NBA history,[92] along with 27 points and 6 assists. [183][184] He was a resident of Mercer Island, Washington, for over four decades. The first [NBA organization] to hire a black [head] coach was the Boston Celtics, and they've had at least five [black head-coaches] over the years. [5], For his achievements, Russell was named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated in 1968. Brown contacted Rochester owner Les Harrison and received an assurance that the Royals could not afford Russell, and they would draft Sihugo Green. He was one of five, along with James Naismith, Oscar Robertson, Dean Smith, and John Wooden, selected to represent the inaugural class. In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that Russell was "the greatest champion in all of team sports". Russell's daughter, Karen, is a. He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. http://t.co/rFfk4qnCEb, KarenKenyattaRussell (@Karen_Russell) June 19, 2013. Here's what we know about his kids and family. At one point, Karen asked her father if it was difficult to send her to school in Boston, where she attended Harvard Law School. August 2, 2022. 6 jersey to be retired throughout NBA", "NBA players who currently wear No. Bill was born in Milltown, Tennessee on April 14, 1942. At 18 he went to college, at San Francisco, where he won two NCAA Championships in 1955 and 1956. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, List of National Basketball Association annual minutes leaders, List of National Basketball Association annual rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career minutes played leaders, List of National Basketball Association career playoff rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association career rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association longest winning streaks, List of National Basketball Association single-game rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association rookie single-season rebounding leaders, List of National Basketball Association single-season rebounding leaders, List of NBA players with most championships, List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career rebounding leaders, "Bill Russell, Henri Richard Famous Elevens Gallery", "195356 NCAA Championship Seasons: The Bill Russell Years", "Bill Russell's Trailblazing Legacy Is Secure (Even If Stats Can't Measure It)", "Bill Russell Is A Champion By Defintion [sic]", "Where does Bill Russell rank among best centers in NBA history? [107], The Celtics were ahead by nine points with five minutes remaining; in addition, West was limping after a Game 5 thigh injury and Chamberlain had left the game with an injured leg. [121] Russell also wrote books, usually written as a joint project with a professional writer, including 1979's Second Wind,[122] and played Judge Roger Ferguson in the Miami Vice episode "The Fix" (aired March 7, 1986). "We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Jeannine, his family and his many friends." His family said that arrangements for Russell's memorial service will be announced in the coming days. The Bill Russell Legacy Foundation, established by the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, funded the project. [170] Each plinth features a key word and related quote to illustrate Russell's multiple accomplishments. [49] Despite this, the Celtics were leading only 9795 with 34 seconds left when Russell closed out the game with several consecutive clutch plays. [128] Russell also received honorary degrees from Harvard University on June 7, 2007,[129] and from Dartmouth College on June 14, 2009. [186], In 1959, Russell became the first NBA player to visit Africa. On the top is her late father, Bill Russel, who died on July 21, 2022. 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. [101] Russell acknowledged the first real loss of his career, as he had been injured when the Celtics lost the 1958 NBA Finals, by visiting Chamberlain in the locker room, shaking his hand, and saying: "Great. When he attempted to leave and find a different station, the attendant stuck a shotgun in his face and threatened to kill him if he did not stay and wait his turn. [49][89], In the 196364 NBA season, the Celtics posted a league-best 5822 record in the regular season. [15], Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, was one of the founding inductees into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007. In addition, Auerbach had already used his NBA territorial pick to acquire talented forward Tom Heinsohn. [77], In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics met the Los Angeles Lakers of forward Elgin Baylor and guard Jerry West. And so the guy that owned the Celtics [Walter Brown] was [in addition to Auerbach for whom Russell expressed 'respect' and 'actual love'] another one of the fine, good, and decent human beings that I've ever encountered. [30] Woolpert's choice of how to deploy his players was unaffected by their skin color. [48] He was active in the Black Power movement and was among the African-American athletes and the one political leader who came together at the 1967 Cleveland Summit to support Muhammad Ali and his decision to refuse to be drafted. The fans could do or think whatever they wanted. "[99][214] As a result of repeated racial bigotry, Russell refused to respond to fan acclaim or friendship from his neighbors, thinking it was insincere and hypocritical. Updated. She is a legal and political analyst who graduated from Georgetown University and Harvard Law School. She has done a lot of activist work, and her articles can be found in the New York Times Magazine, HuffPost, and many other publications. [100] During the series, Russell said: "Right now, he (Wilt) is playing like me [to win]. His family posted the news on social media, saying his wife, Jeannine, was by his side. Russell wore his Presidential Medal of Freedom and the image was captioned: "Proud to take a knee, and to stand tall against social injustice." In the letter she wrote for The New York Times in 1987, Karen Russell said her family came home from a three-day weekend one night to find their house robbed and vandalized. 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