Legendary basketball star William Felton (Bill) Russell was born on February 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana. His family moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where he attended McClymonds High School in Oakland. Russell was a center on his high school basketball team. Towering in height at 6’10”, he earned a scholarship to attend the University of San Francisco (USF) in 1954. At USF Russell developed into a defensive powerhouse and led his team to two National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships in 1955 and 1956. Russell averaged 20.7 points and 20.3 rebounds in his three-year varsity career. He was also on the U.S. Olympic Team where he and teammates won gold medals in 1956.
In 1956, the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) drafted Russell for his defensive abilities in rebounding and shot blocks. In an era where scoring points was a major focus for many teams, Russell honed his abilities on defense and changed team strategies. He helped the Celtics win nine championships in his first 10 seasons and during that period continually led the league in rebounding. Russell won MVP awards in 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1965. He also changed the way basketball was played, with opposing centers emulating his techniques.
Following another NBA Championship in 1965-66, Red Auerbach retired as head coach of the Boston Celtics, and Russell took over as player-coach the following season, becoming the first African American coach in the league and the first player-coach in recent NBA history. As both a player and a coach, Russell led Boston to a 60-21 regular-season record, but the Celtics finally lost to an explosive Philadelphia 76ers team in the Eastern Division Finals.
When the Celtics failed to win the title that year, Russell’s coaching job was considered in jeopardy and many in the league questioned whether the player-coach model was viable. Russell remained with the team, and in the 1967-68 season the Celtics regained their dominance in the league with another NBA championship under his guidance. From that point his coaching abilities were no longer questioned. In Russell's third year as player-coach, Boston repeated as NBA champion by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. After that season, Russell retired, having led the team to 11 championships in 13 years. Bill Russell had a career average of 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds per game, and had amassed 21,620 career rebounds, second in NBA history only to Wilt Chamberlain's 23,924. Bill Russell currently lives in Seattle.
Sources:
Zander Hollander, The Modern Encyclopedia of Basketball (New York: Dolphin Books, 1979); http://www.nba.com/history/players/russell_bio.html
Contributor(s):
Yu, Karlson
University of Washington, Seattle
In 1956, the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) drafted Russell for his defensive abilities in rebounding and shot blocks. In an era where scoring points was a major focus for many teams, Russell honed his abilities on defense and changed team strategies. He helped the Celtics win nine championships in his first 10 seasons and during that period continually led the league in rebounding. Russell won MVP awards in 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1965. He also changed the way basketball was played, with opposing centers emulating his techniques.
Following another NBA Championship in 1965-66, Red Auerbach retired as head coach of the Boston Celtics, and Russell took over as player-coach the following season, becoming the first African American coach in the league and the first player-coach in recent NBA history. As both a player and a coach, Russell led Boston to a 60-21 regular-season record, but the Celtics finally lost to an explosive Philadelphia 76ers team in the Eastern Division Finals.
When the Celtics failed to win the title that year, Russell’s coaching job was considered in jeopardy and many in the league questioned whether the player-coach model was viable. Russell remained with the team, and in the 1967-68 season the Celtics regained their dominance in the league with another NBA championship under his guidance. From that point his coaching abilities were no longer questioned. In Russell's third year as player-coach, Boston repeated as NBA champion by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. After that season, Russell retired, having led the team to 11 championships in 13 years. Bill Russell had a career average of 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds per game, and had amassed 21,620 career rebounds, second in NBA history only to Wilt Chamberlain's 23,924. Bill Russell currently lives in Seattle.
Sources:
Zander Hollander, The Modern Encyclopedia of Basketball (New York: Dolphin Books, 1979); http://www.nba.com/history/players/russell_bio.html
Contributor(s):
Yu, Karlson
University of Washington, Seattle
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