Bill Russell
William Felton Russell was born on the 12th of February 1934, in West Monroe, Louisiana. The town operated under strict segregation laws that dictated every aspect of daily life for Black residents. His father Charles faced constant humiliation from white customers and staff at local businesses. One incident involved a gas station attendant who refused to serve the elder Russell until all white patrons were attended to first. When the family tried to leave, the attendant pulled out a shotgun and threatened to kill them if they did not wait their turn. Another time, a white police officer stopped Russell's mother while she wore fancy clothing outside. He ordered her to go home and remove what he called "white woman's clothing." These early experiences shaped a worldview where racism was an omnipresent force rather than an occasional obstacle.
The family moved to Oakland, California when Russell was eight years old during the Second Great Migration. They lived in public housing projects and struggled with poverty despite his father working as a truck driver after World War II. Russell lost his mother suddenly when he was twelve years old, leaving him emotionally vulnerable. His father became a steelworker to be closer to his children and later emerged as a childhood hero. Russell found solace in basketball but initially lacked understanding of the game itself. He got cut from the junior high team and almost cut again at McClymonds High School before coach George Powles gave him a chance. Powles bought him a community center membership and encouraged him to work on fundamentals. This support system helped Russell develop into a dominant player despite his raw athletic potential.
Russell started playing varsity basketball for the University of San Francisco in 1953 under coach Phil Woolpert. Woolpert emphasized defense and deliberate half-court play which perfectly suited Russell's exceptional skills. In 1954, Woolpert became the first major college basketball coach to start three African-American players: K.C. Jones, Hal Perry, and Russell. The team combined Russell's shot-blocking abilities with forward foot speed to create an unstoppable force.
Sports Illustrated wrote about USF after they kept Holy Cross Crusaders star Tom Heinsohn scoreless for an entire half. The article stated that if Russell ever learned to hit the basket, rules would need rewriting. The NCAA responded by widening the lane during Russell's junior year. They later banned basket interference to counter big men like Russell who dominated the paint. These rule changes proved necessary as Russell led USF to consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956.
The team won fifty-five consecutive games including a twenty-six-point, twenty-seven-rebound, twenty-block performance in one game. Russell denied thirteen shots in another single contest. UCLA Bruins coach John Wooden called him "the greatest defensive man I've ever seen." The NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player award went to Russell in 1955 when he averaged over twenty points and twenty rebounds per game. His experiences on the court contrasted sharply with racist treatment off it. Hotels in Oklahoma City refused to admit Russell and his black teammates during the 1954 All-College Tournament. The whole team decided to stay in a closed college dorm instead of accepting segregation.
Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach selected Russell with the second overall pick in the 1956 NBA draft before trading him for Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan. This transaction became one of the most important trades in North American sports history. Russell joined the Celtics in December 1956 after competing at the Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He helped lead Boston to their first NBA championship in 1957 against the St. Louis Hawks.
Russell's defensive presence transformed the franchise into a dynasty that won eleven championships during his thirteen-year career. The Celtics won eight consecutive titles from 1959 to 1966, an unprecedented streak in professional sports. His shot-blocking skills earned him the nickname "Wilsonburgers" because he would shove basketballs back into opponents' faces. Pundits called this ability crucial to the team's success since other players could play aggressively knowing Russell guarded the basket.
The rivalry with Wilt Chamberlain defined an era of basketball competition. Chamberlain averaged thirty points per game as a rookie while Russell led the Celtics to victory in their the 7th of November 1959 matchup. Their head-to-head battles became known as "The Big Collision" or "Battle of the Titans." Chamberlain outscored Russell thirty to twenty-two in that game but the Celtics still won 115-106. Russell held Chamberlain to just two field goals in the first three quarters of Game 3 during the 1965 playoffs. Despite Chamberlain's superior scoring numbers, Russell's Celtics won seven of eight playoff series against him.
Red Auerbach retired before the 1966-67 NBA season and asked Frank Ramsey to coach instead. Ramsey declined due to running nursing homes. Bill Sharman also turned down the position. Tom Heinsohn refused because he doubted his ability to handle Russell's personality. Russell agreed to become head coach on the 16th of April 1966, making him the first black head coach in NBA history.
He bluntly told teammates he intended to cut all personal ties to other players and seamlessly transitioned from peer to superior. The Celtics lost their championship streak at eight games when Wilt Chamberlain's Philadelphia 76ers won a record-breaking sixty-eight regular-season games. They defeated Boston four games to one in the Eastern Division finals. Russell acknowledged this as his first real loss by visiting Chamberlain in the locker room and shaking his hand.
The team rallied back from a three-one deficit in the 1968 playoffs for the first time in NBA history. They beat the Sixers in Game Seven after trailing 110-109 with five seconds remaining. Sam Jones scored the winning basket following a steal by John Havlicek. Russell limited Chamberlain to only two shot attempts in the second half of that decisive game. He led his grandfather through the locker rooms afterward where they saw white player Havlicek showering next to black teammate Sam Jones discussing the game. His grandfather broke down crying about how proud he was of seeing blacks and whites coexisting in harmony.
Russell faced constant racial abuse throughout his career despite being one of basketball's biggest stars. White hotel owners in segregated North Carolina denied rooms to him and his black teammates during the 1958 All-Star tour. He wrote in his 1966 memoir Go Up For Glory that racism covered every area like "a living, smarting, hurting, smelling, greasy substance." Before the 1961-62 season, his team refused service at a Lexington Kentucky restaurant. The Celtics boycotted an exhibition game and flew home instead of playing.
He became active in the Black Power movement and attended the 1967 Cleveland Summit supporting Muhammad Ali's refusal to be drafted. Some called him Felton X after Nation of Islam practices replacing European slave names with X. He purchased land in Liberia and made increasingly militant public statements. Russell said: "I dislike most white people because they are people... I like most blacks because I am black." He later expressed self-criticism about these views while maintaining their validity.
Boston fans often viewed him as egotistical or paranoid due to his refusal to smile for children or sign autographs. Vandals broke into his Reading Massachusetts house covering walls with racist graffiti and defecating in beds. He described Boston as a "flea market of racism" quoting from his 1979 memoir Second Wind. The FBI maintained files describing him as "an arrogant Negro who won't sign autographs for white children." Russell refused to attend ceremonies when his jersey number six was retired in 1972 or when he entered the Hall of Fame in 1975.
Russell joined NBA on ABC commentary team in 1971 before being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. He did not attend either ceremony due to difficult relationships with media. His coaching stints included leading Seattle SuperSonics from 1973 to 1977 and Sacramento Kings from 1987 to 1988. The SuperSonics reached playoffs for the first time under his guidance but finished with a one hundred sixty-two win, one hundred sixty-six loss record. He left after the 1976-77 season.
Financial troubles plagued his post-playing years despite earning substantial salaries during his career. He invested two hundred fifty thousand dollars in a rubber plantation in Liberia that went bankrupt. His Boston restaurant Slade's also failed causing him to default on a ninety-thousand dollar government loan. The Internal Revenue Service discovered he owed thirty-four thousand four hundred thirty dollars in taxes and placed liens on his house.
He worked as color commentator for CBS and TBS throughout the 1970s into mid-1980s but felt uncomfortable broadcasting. Russell said successful television required eight-second thoughts while his knowledge went deeper than that. He hosted Saturday Night Live on the 3rd of November 1979 appearing in sports sketches. Later he wrote books including 1979's Second Wind and played Judge Roger Ferguson in Miami Vice episode The Fix aired the 7th of March 1986.
Russell became one of only eight players in basketball history to achieve the Triple Crown winning NCAA championship, NBA championship, and Olympic gold medal. He won eleven NBA championships with Boston Celtics in thirteen seasons including two as player-coach. By winning 1956 NCAA title and 1957 NBA crown back-to-back, he set records later matched by Henry Bibby, Magic Johnson, Billy Thompson, and Christian Braun.
The NBA renamed its Finals MVP Award after him on the 14th of February 2009 recognizing his eleven-time champion status. President Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 for accomplishments both on court and in civil rights movement. He was inducted into Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice: once as player in 1975 and again as coach in 2021.
In September 2017, Russell posted a photograph taking knee in solidarity with national anthem protests wearing his Presidential Medal of Freedom. The image caption read "Proud to take a knee, and to stand tall against social injustice." Shortly after his death the 31st of July 2022, the NBA retired number six jersey league-wide making him the only player ever receiving that honor. He became third person in North American major professional sports to have jersey number retired league-wide behind Jackie Robinson and Wayne Gretzky.
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Common questions
When and where was Bill Russell born?
William Felton Russell was born on the 12th of February 1934, in West Monroe, Louisiana. The town operated under strict segregation laws that dictated every aspect of daily life for Black residents.
How many NBA championships did Bill Russell win with the Boston Celtics?
Bill Russell won eleven NBA championships during his thirteen-year career with the Boston Celtics. The team won eight consecutive titles from 1959 to 1966, an unprecedented streak in professional sports.
What historic coaching milestone did Bill Russell achieve in 1966?
Bill Russell agreed to become head coach on the 16th of April 1966, making him the first black head coach in NBA history. He led the Boston Celtics after Red Auerbach retired before the 1966-67 NBA season.
Why did Bill Russell refuse to attend his Hall of Fame induction ceremonies?
Russell refused to attend ceremonies when he entered the Hall of Fame in 1975 due to difficult relationships with media and racial abuse throughout his career. The FBI maintained files describing him as an arrogant Negro who would not sign autographs for white children.
When was the NBA Finals MVP Award renamed after Bill Russell?
The NBA renamed its Finals MVP Award after Bill Russell on the 14th of February 2009 recognizing his eleven-time champion status. This honor recognized his dominance and impact on the game.