He later recalled: "To play good defense it was told back then that you had to stay flatfooted at all times to react quickly. [189] On October 16, 2013, Russell was arrested for bringing his registered, loaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun to the SeattleTacoma International Airport. 6 jersey would be retired throughout the National Basketball Association, the first time a jersey had been retired league-wide in NBA history, and joining Jackie Robinson and Wayne Gretzky in the honor among the four major American sports leagues. Would love your thoughts, please comment. [6][7][8][9] Standing at 6ft 10in (2.08m) tall, with a 7ft 4in (2.24m) arm span,[10][11] his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' dominance during his career. 1 in NBA history for defensive win shares at 133.6, with Tim Duncan in second at 106.3. equal . He was born William Felton Russell Jr. on November 2, 1957. [109] The same fate awaited his Boston restaurant Slade's, after which he had to default on a $90,000 government loan to purchase the outlet. [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. His parents, Charles and Katie Russell, decided they would not raise their children in this environment. Russell was so quick that he could run over for a quick double team and make it back in time if the opponents tried to find the open man. [56] This skill allowed the other Celtics to play their men aggressively; if they were beaten, they knew that Russell was guarding the basket. American basketball player and coach (19342022), 19561958: Rookie champion and early years, 19581966: Eight straight NBA championships, 19661969: Player-coach champion and final years, Racist abuse, controversy, and relationship with Boston fans. July 31, 2022 10:57 AM. "[207] To teammates and friends, Russell was open and amicable; he was extremely distrusting and cold towards anyone else. [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. Read More: Bill Russells Wives: Where Are They Now? As the son of one of Hollywood's most beloved . After all, every step he took was to ensure social change for the betterment of not just his family, his community, the game of basketball, and the entire sporting industry but also people in general. Although the middle child of Bill Sr. and Rose Swisher (born on July 6, 1959), Jacob is arguably the simplest member of the prominent Russell family in almost every sense of the term. He later said: "The most successful television is done in eight-second thoughts, and the things I know about basketball, motivation, and people go deeper than that. This was the first time in seven years that he failed to average at least 23 rebounds a game. Boston then beat the Los Angeles Lakers 42 in the 1968 NBA Finals, giving Russell his tenth title in twelve years. His third . He unfortunately passed away from cancer back in 2016 at the early age of 58, according to NBC News. They had three children: daughter Karen Russell and sons William Jr. and Jacob. She works as an attorney, corporate trainer, and political strategist, according to the Huffington Post. We won the National Championship. Your IP: [223] In 1995, the Celtics left the Boston Garden and entered the FleetCenter, now known as the TD Garden; as the main festive act, the Celtics wanted to re-retire Russell's jersey in front of a sellout audience. He shares all three of his children with his first wife and college sweetheart, Rose Swisher, whom he divorced in 1973. They were together from 1956 to 1973. Asked by Russell what was wrong, his grandfather replied how proud he was of him, being coach of an organization in which blacks and whites coexisted in harmony. He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. [78] At that time, he became the fourth player in Celtics history to have a triple-double, joining Macauley, Cousy, and K. C. In the 1961 NBA playoffs, the Celtics defeated the Syracuse Nationals 41 in the Eastern Division Finals. He stood side-by-side with Dr. Martin Luther King in the 1960s, the height of the civil rights movement. [49] Bill Simmons has estimated that Russell had between 8 and 15 blocks per game in the playoffs. When he became player-coach in 1966, Russell bluntly said to his teammates that "he intended to cut all personal ties to other players" and seamlessly made the transition from their peer to their superior. Arthur was a man of great courage. Russell's No. He revealed that his mother died when he was 12. [32] Russell became one of several big men who have brought about NCAA rule changes. [26], Russell soon became noted for his unusual style of defense. William Felton Russell Jr., also known as "Buddha," lost a courageous battle with cancer. I averaged over 20 points and over 20 rebounds, and I was the only guy in college blocking shots. 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. 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 . Bill and Jeannine did not have any kids together. [5] Russell was known as one of the most clutch players in the NBA. They were college darlings. I knew youd encounter racism and sexism, and maybe, in some ways, thats a good thing. The owner of the Hawks called Auerbach later and demanded more in the trade. He has three children, Jacob Russell, William Russell Jr., and Karen Russell . [21] Of Russell the college basketball player, Mikan said: "Let's face it, he's the best ever. [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. Over the course of his life, Rusell played 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, during which time he took home 11 championships titles with the team. Bill Russell, who has died at the age of 88, was more than just a basketball superstar and world-class athlete. [128] On May 20, 2007, Russell was awarded an honorary doctorate by Suffolk University, where he served as its commencement speaker. Russell also had seven regular-season games with 40 or more rebounds, the NBA Finals record for highest rebound per game average (29.5, 1959) and by a rookie (22.9, 1957). His 1956 rookie contract was worth $24,000 (equivalent to $239,207 in 2021), only fractionally smaller than the $25,000 of top earner and teammate Bob Cousy. [121], Russell became a vegetarian, took up golf, and worked as a color commentator for CBS and TBS throughout the 1970s into the mid-1980s, but he was uncomfortable as a broadcaster. The former practicing attorney is hence the epitome of an empowered woman through and through. 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. Bill Russell was the father of four children from three different women. Bill Russell's daughter, Karen, was born on January 20, 1962. That's the first thing Walter Brown said to Chuck Cooper. . In 1954, he became the first coach of a major college basketball squad to start three African-American players: K. C. Jones, Hal Perry, and Russell. Russell scored 15.0 points per game and grabbed a career-high 24.7 rebounds per game, leading the NBA in rebounds for the first time since Chamberlain entered the league. 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.'". "[109] This supported the opinion of many white fans that Russell, who was by then the highest-paid Celtic, was egotistical, paranoid, and hypocritical. [194][195] For his promotion to coach, the Celtics paid Russell an annual salary of $25,000 which was in addition to his salary as a player. Tonight, Bull Russell will receive the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2019 ESPYs. [58], At that time, Russell received much negative publicity as a player. [129] Russell also received honorary degrees from Harvard University on June 7, 2007,[130] and from Dartmouth College on June 14, 2009. 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. "[30] The NCAA rewrote rules in response to Russell's dominant play; the lane was widened for his junior year. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a2ac29f4a77691b Russell articulated these views with a measure of self-criticism, saying: "I consider this a deficiency in myselfmaybe. 2. The fans could do or think whatever they wanted. The two men did not speak to each other for more than twenty years until Russell met with Chamberlain and personally apologized. 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. The relationship between the two was tenuous at best. July 31, 2022 1:50 PM PT. [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". In the 1960 NBA playoffs, Russell's Celtics met Chamberlain's Warriors in the Eastern Division Finals. On February 8, 2023, she shared an Instagram post to her page, @karenkenyattarussell, in which she discussed the Netflix documentary about her father called Bill Russell: Legend. Although Russell was a good runner and jumper and had large hands,[20] he did not understand the game and was cut from the team at Herbert Hoover Junior High School. Auerbach knew that the Rochester Royals, who owned the first draft pick, already had a strong rebounder in Maurice Stokes, were looking for an outside shooting guard, and were unwilling to pay Russell the $25,000 signing bonus he requested. Your login session has expired. 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. So after the season was over, they had a Northern California banquet, and they picked another center as Player of the Year in Northern California. Bill Russell was also playing for the US National basketball team, where he was the team captain during the 1956 Summer Olympics, and in fact, the team won it. 6 jersey to be retired throughout NBA", "NBA players who currently wear No. NBA Legend Bill Russell is interviewed by television personality John King prior to Bill Russell's acceptance of the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in Washington, DC. The Bill Russell Legacy Foundation, established by the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, funded the project. [29] When DeJulio offered Russell a scholarship, he eagerly accepted. In 2009, the NBA renamed the NBA Finals MVP Award in his honor. The oldest son of Bill Russell, William Felton Russell Jr, who was named after the 11-time NBA champion, unfortunately passed away in 2016. [109], For most of his career, Russell and his perennial opponent Wilt Chamberlain were close friends. She then chose to stay well away from the spotlight while still co-parenting their children, but alas, it all ended on September 11, 2014, as she passed away at the age of 78 owing to some natural health problems. [210] After that, the two were often seen together at various events and interviewed as friends. [221] On November 15, 2019, Russell accepted the Hall of Fame ring in a private ceremony with family. A post shared by Bill Russell (@realbillrussell). The already hostile atmosphere between Russell and Boston hit its apex when vandals broke into his house in Reading, Massachusetts, covered the walls with racist graffiti, damaged his trophies, and defecated in the beds. In protest, the whole team decided to camp out in a closed college dorm, which was later called an important bonding experience for the group. [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. [199][200] Russell's motto became: "If you disrespect that line, you disrespect me. Bill Russell Social Media [177], On August 2, 2020, the West Coast Conference (WCC), which has been home to Russell's alma mater of USF since the league's formation in 1952,[178][a] became the first NCAA Division I conference to adopt a conference-wide diversity hiring commitment, announcing the Russell Rule, named after Russell and based on the National Football League's Rooney Rule. At one point, the article reads, The girl [Dorothy] listed as one of lifes ambitions the chance to teach high school for mentally retarded children. [Auerbach would] get the information from us and then make a decision based on that information and his thoughts. [122] Russell also wrote books, usually written as a joint project with a professional writer, including 1979's Second Wind,[123] and played Judge Roger Ferguson in the Miami Vice episode "The Fix" (aired March 7, 1986). In fact, she is even a qualified attorney as she earned her Juris Doctorate (JD) degree from Harvard Law School after obtaining a Bachelors in Philosophy as well as Government from Georgetown University. [151] He played in eleven deciding games (ten times in Game 7s, once in a Game 5) and ended with a 110 record. [56] Russell never had to work part-time. So Hirsch went to Seattle to have lunch with Russell and his daughter, attorney Karen Russell. 6 was retired in 1972; he also refused to attend his induction into the Hall of Fame in 1975. [67] On November 7, 1959, Russell's Celtics hosted Chamberlain's Warriors and pundits called the matchup between the best offensive and defensive centers "The Big Collision" and "Battle of the Titans". "[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. [110] Russell notified Auerbach that he was resigning to join a career in television and movies "in order to find new sources of income for the future". [124] In 1985, former Celtic teammate Don Chaney, who was head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, asked Russell to tutor Benoit Benjamin, the third overall draft pick from Creighton University, who left after his junior season; according to Chaney, Russell did not get paid for it. "We had a few white kids come to that camp . [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. He is quoted by Fox Sports as saying that his father lived in Louisiana. [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 like most blacks because I am black." Powered by. [12] Russell averaged 16.6 points per game and a league-record average of 22.7 rebounds per game. Karen Russell, Jacob Russell, William Russell Jr. Rose Swisher got married to her husband, Bill Russell on 9 December 1956. her husband Basketball player Bill Russell was his college sweetheart, she got divorced from him in 1973. 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. Bill Russell Personal life, Spouse & Trivia. Thus, playing in this team has also added up to the overall . Russell died "peacefully" with . She already does volunteer work as a tutor for underprivileged children in her hometown.. [174][175][176] During the spring of 2015, two statues of children were added, honoring Russell's commitment to working with children. Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in the history of American sports, died Sunday. He was born on November 2, 1957, and spent several years working for Cox Trucking. [45][46] He also competed in the 440 yards (402.3m) race, which he could complete in 49.6 seconds. He actually enrolled at the School of Art Institute in Chicago for a Bachelor's in Design-Visual Communications upon graduating from California's Galileo . [107], Days later, 30,000 Celtics fans cheered their returning heroes. [116], After retiring as a player, Russell had stints as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics (19731977) and Sacramento Kings (19871988). [56] Russell had a more cordial relationship with many of his teammates with the notable exception of Heinsohn, his old rival and fellow rookie. Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. 6 jersey was retired by the Celtics on March 12, 1972,[113] Russell had worn the same number 6 at the USF and for the 1956 U.S. Olympic team. Date Divorced. Dorothy, according to a 1968 Associated Press article, was one of nine children of an aircraft plant worker. When the reporter asked how, Russell responded: "Because the most important factor is respect. BOSTON Celtics legend, Bill Russell, had three children with his first wife, Rose. [206], Russell was known for his distinctive high-pitched laugh, of which Auerbach quipped: "There are only two things that could make me quit coaching. Fri 5 Aug 2022 10.44 EDT. She never stopped talking to me. [49], Russell was considered the consummate defensive center, noted for his defensive intensity, basketball IQ, and will to win. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a 12-time NBA All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career. "[179], Russell was married to his college sweetheart Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973. [5] Russell was elected to one NBA All-Defensive First Team. 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. In addition to his career accomplishments, Russell was a prominent human rights activist in sports. The statement draws attention to his . 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. Unfortunately, though, the duo grew emotionally distant around the time his NBA playing career came to an end in 1970, leading to their divorce three years later in 1973. [106], Russell and the Celtics achieved upsets over the 76ers and the Knicks to earn a meeting with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1969 NBA Finals.