It's no conversation. Karen graduated from Harward Law School and has dissected high-profile trials and national political issues. He led the Boston Celtics to an astounding 11 Championships from 1957 to Granted, it was in part because no one could deal with the moody Russell except Russell himself, but it still made him the first African American coach in NBA history, as well as the first to win a title when Boston took the 196768 championship. 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. Before he won 11 NBA championships and five MVP awards before he won two national championships in Bill was a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player, having won 11 championships during the course of his thirteen-year career. Its impossible to tell the story of the NBA without also telling the story of Bill Russell. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn commissions from purchases made on Amazon via our links. Before his arrival, the Celtics had been a shot-happy, nearly out-of-control team, led by passing wizard Bob Cousy. Have a good day. The term Dynasty might have never applied to Basketball had it not been for Bill Russell. He was represented by Russell Spielman, Manager and Booking Agent, GSE Worldwide, Melville, Long Island, New York, United States. MARTIN: That was award-winning director Sam Pollard. Later that year she won Miss USA1968 while studying at Washington. He was one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball and left behind an amazing legacy. Rose and Bill were college sweethearts and were together for much of Bills NBA She represented the USA atMiss Universe 1968in July, where she placed fourth runner-up. In his second season with the Celtics, Russell bought a house in Reading. Hes still second on the NBAs all-time rebounding list, behind only Wilt Chamberlain, and will probably be in that spot forever since nobody has come remotely close to him in the last 50 years. Only Russell remained of the fabled Boston Celtics, except for the emerging superstar John Havlichek, and aging star Sam Jones. While studying at the McClymonds High School, he was introduced to basketball as he participated in the school team. He had made great strides within the game of basketball, but the restless, conscientious Russell felt that there were bigger battles to fight. I didnt know what she was going to do. All Rights Reserved. Born on Feb. 12, 1934, William Felton Russell spent his earliest years in Monroe, Louisiana, before his family moved west during World War II, ultimately landing in Oakland, California. He was born and brought up in a super-rich-class Catholic Christian family from West Monroe, Louisiana, United States. That day changed my whole attitude about she says I dont want you to ever pick a fight, but always finish the fight youre in. NBA legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell dies at 88 Then came the proving ground of Boston. I had seen Bill Russell play. Despite going through numerous struggles, he managed to stay strong and make the most out of the opportunity that was given to him. I mean, he had a lot of issues. Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully today at age 88, with his wife, Jeannine, by his side, his family wrote. We went all through the projects looking for those 5 guys. Bills third wife was Marilyn Nault, whom he married in 1996. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, the FIBA (Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur) Hall of Fame in 2007, and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in its inaugural ceremony in 2006. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. 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 didn't love Boston. POLLARD: Yeah, during the Boston bussing issue. I mean, you've won so many accolades. MARTIN: I have to tell you, you've done so many things - produced and directed and edited award-winning feature films and documentaries. 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. His on-court achievements did not give him a platform; instead, they granted him a strange kind of amnestythe very greatness that should have forced others to listen somehow overshadowed any trouble he might have wanted to stir up. INSIDE THE LAKERS LEGENDS RELATIONSHIPS, WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT LEBRON JAMES DAD ANTHONY MCCLELLAND, FANS ASK WHATS WRONG WITH ANTHONY DAVIS? AFTER REACTION TO LEBRON BREAKING RECORD, Best Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury memes after undefeated Brit beats YouTuber, {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. All rights reserved. Never turned the trash cans over again.. Currently, Russells estimated net worth is about $10 million. Russells impact was immediate. 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. Reflecting on the legacy of Celtics great Bill Russell Russells example helped shape the generations that followed him. And now Netflix is out with a new documentary. WebWilliam "Bill" Russell (February 26, 1905 August 9, 1992) was an American music historian and modernist composer. In 1956 Bill Russell entered the NBA draft. Rose Swisher and Bill Russell had three children, daughter Karen Russell and sons William Jr and Jacob. NBA legend Bill Russell passed away at the age of 88. The statement draws attention to his achievements and contributions outside the field over the years. While there is still progress to be made, the Hall of Famer should get a lot of credit for fighting against what was wrong. So did Russell. You know, I thought he was one of the greatest defensive centers who ever played the game. WebBill Russell February 12, 1934 Russell was born on February 12, 1934, to Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana. Two years later, the couple welcomed a second son, Russell went to the police, who surmised that raccoons must be the culprits. WebBill Russell Legend on DVD - Both Episodes The life and career of Hall of Fame NBA player Bill Russell is celebrated in the documentary Bill Russel: Legend. On the court, Russell was a force to be reckoned with a champion who sacrificed himself for his teammates and love of basketball. Corrections? July 31, 2022 1:27pm. As at 2020, Bill Russell is married to Jeannine Russell and the couple appears frequently together on his Instagram. Sam Pollard, thanks so much for talking with us. In 2010 Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the countrys highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama. 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). I thought she was going to take care of it. You know, I want you to understand, like a lot of these films about (inaudible) the complexity of the human being, we're playing up on a screen. The victory got Russell his 10th NBA Championship title in 12 career years and the Sports Illustrateds Sportsman of the Year Award. 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 The teams coach, Red Auerbach, coveted Russell as the missing piece to what he believed could be a championship roster. Both Macauley and Hagan would eventually land in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, an indication of how highly Auerbach valued Russell. WebFamily Life. Anstett competed in theMiss Washingtonpageant in 1967, finishing in second place. He was born on November 2, 1957 and worked for Cox Trucking for several years. Once again, there was an element of chance involved: Auerbach had never seen Russell play and instead had to rely on the word of a trusted peer. 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. And he wasn't as aggressive as Jim Brown could be, you know, when he was at his height as an actor and as an activist. He would not let his defeat in 1967 keep him down. I mean, he just did what he had to do, and he wasn't as vocal as Ali, as we all know. 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. He was married four times and had three children. Have something to tell us about this article? And so she says are these the guys?. 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. Bill Russell married his college Girlfriend Rose Swisher in 1956 and had one daughter named Karen Russell and two sons named If you have three hours and want to check out Russells story, you can watch this video right below. His family fell into poverty and they moved into housing projects and thats where this story picks up. 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 sports greatest icons. Russell was married three times. The statement draws attention to his achievements and contributions outside the field over the years. It is a truly staggering rate of success, one that no other NBA player has come close to approaching. The Celtics went on to win 8 more back-to-back NBA championships winning five against the Lakers in the finals to set up one of the biggest rivalries in the NBA. POLLARD: I don't think he was as vocal. Bill was only nine years old at the time. Being fearless on the basketball court was easy. William Jr, Bills first son, was born in 1957 but passed away from cancer in 2016. 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. In California, life for the Russell family proved rocky. 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. But as her wife was white they got divorced in 1980. A San Diego judge had a defendants 13-year-old daughter handcuffed. The premise was that it had to be difficult for Russell to live in such a place, to play for fans in such a city. On the road it was not uncommon for him to have to sleep in a different hotel from the one the rest of the club used. Russell was married three times. During his three-year varsity career, in which he led the team to consecutive NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956, he averaged 20.7 points and 20.3 rebounds per game. Due to his height, the NCAA changed some rules that could foster the progress of Bill Russell and other NBA prospects with tall frames. He went to high school in Oakland. In May 30, it was The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. | Born: February 12, 1934Played all 13 seasons with CelticsFive-time NBA MVPEleven-time NBA championNo. Named to NBA's 25th, 35th, 50th and 75th anniversary teamsTwelve-time NBA All-StarNamed Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 1968Induced into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on April 28, 1975Member of gold-medal winning US Olympic team in 1956 Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Bill Russell, Birth Year: 1934, Birth date: February 12, 1934, Birth State: Louisiana, Birth City: Monroe, Birth Country: United States. At the age of 9 he moved to Oakland. Updated. 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? And he lived in Reading, Mass. He helped the team to the play-offs and his shot-blocking abilities were efficient in the NBA final against the St. Louis Hawks which the Celtics narrowly won. However, they separated three years later in 1980. {{#media.media_details}} {{#media.focal_point}}. He was also involved in several build-ups and could intelligently help the team in tight areas and big games. An explanation van Breda Kolff gave to Chamberlain was "we're doing fine without you." According to CBS Sports, he was a track star at his university. Russell is a resident of Mercer Island, Washington where he stays with his wife. Now the incident is under review. Regarded as one of the best ever players in the history of National Basketball Association (NBA), William Felton Bill Russell is a retired professional basketball player who was the centerpiece of the Bostons Celtics dynasty for a period of 13 years. 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