The basketball world has lost its most influential star. Boston Celtics legend, Bill Russell, has unfortunately passed away today at the age of 88. I think it’s only fair to take a moment and honor the icon that was Bill Russell.
When one looks back at the trailblazers of equality in professional sports, one of the first names that always comes to mind is Bill Russell. Born in West Monroe, Louisiana in 1934, the climb to making it to the NBA was always going to be a challenge for Russell. And that was especially made obvious when he was drafted with the 2nd overall pick by the St. Louis Hawks, then immediately traded to the Boston Celtics, in the 1956 draft.
Boston back in the 1950’s and 60’s was definitely not the peak of racial equality. In fact, it may have ranked as one of the worst cities in America for a person of African American decent to live (in terms of the racial harassment and racism they would receive) if there was a tally back then. And, despite Bill’s fantastic skills and talent, he was treated just as poorly as one might have imagined.
He was called horrible racial slurs during Celtics away and HOME games (as a Celtics fan, it is really shameful to think that he had to endure such horrific treatment from his supposed ‘fans’; and I will never understand how people can be so cruel to a fellow human beings). His house in Reading, Massachusetts was broken into and vandalized with graffiti, and he was blackballed by cities, such as Wilmington, from living there.
He was racially profiled by the Boston police on numerous occasions. Scarily, on one occasion, as you can read here from Bill Russell himself, a racially motivated traffic stop nearly led to him being shot and killed. Why? Well, the police thought Russell was a threat for just being an African American man in a nice car driving down the road. Clearly, he had a horrible time in Boston. But that didn’t stop him from giving his heart and soul for his teammates, coaches, and the Boston Celtics organization.
Standing at 6-10 and weighing around 215 lbs., Bill Russell was the biggest center in the NBA at the time. And the most athletic. As Bill Russel said, “(he) was bringing the vertical game to a game that had been horizontal.” As the general rules of defense in basketball at the time was (essentially) that no player should ever have to leave their feet to defend a shot, Bill Russell’s vertical game was revolutionary. Especially so considering he could reach the top of the backboard.
His groundbreaking defensive prowess helped him put up between 6-8 blocks per game. This is an unofficial stat as blocks/game was not measured back then. However, referees who officiated Russell’s games estimated that was the average he accumulated every night. And I 100% believe these former refs as Bill’s new style of defense (which is standard rim protection now) almost certainly had to of stopped that number of shots for him to be recognized by his peers for his greatness.
Anyway, Bill Russell wasn’t just a defensive powerhouse. He also contributed on the offensive side of the ball too. He averaged 15.1 PPG and 22.5 RPG for his 13-year career with the Celtics. His spirit, heart, determination, and natural talent was what made him into such a great player and allowed him to become the ultimate champion.
Bill Russell ended his playing career with 11 NBA titles (Tied for 1st Among Players In The 4 Major Sports Leagues Across North America), 5X League MVP, 11X All-Star, 12 All-NBA Team inclusions, 1968/69 All Defensive Team inclusion, and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team inclusion too.
But what made Bill Russell a true legend was his work off the court for racial equality. He famously boycotted a Celtics’ preseason friendly game in Kentucky when a local restaurant denied him and his fellow African American teammates service.
He also was a notable figurehead and supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King’s rally at the Lincoln Memorial when he gave his famous “I Have A Dream Speech”, and he was an avid supporter of Muhamed Ali’s fight for racial justice. Plus, Russell also advocated the NBA to give more rights to his fellow African American teammates, especially during the 1966 campaign when the Boston Celtics had the NBA’s first All-Black starting lineup.
Oh, did I forget to mention that Bill Russell was not only inducted for his playing career in 1975, but also his coaching career in 2021. Yes, Bill Russell was also the first African American head coach in NBA history with the Boston Celtics (1966-69), where he won two NBA champions. He also coached the Seattle SuperSonics (1973-77) and Sacramento Kings (1987/88) to round off his basketball coaching career.
Yeah, that’s not too bad.
On a more serious note, on behalf of all Celtics fans, I would like to thank you, Bill. You gave your blood, sweat, and heart for the Boston Celtics, even when the city treated you worse than dirt. Thus, I would like to apologize, on behalf of all of Boston, for the treatment you received. The city of Boston was unworthy of your greatness back then, but I hope that with time and experience, the newest generations of Bostonians (which I’m apart of) can honor your legacy. May you rest in peace now, Bill.
Thanks for everything!
Images Source: Featured Image:
Other Sources: (Slam Online/Bill Russell) (Bill Russell’s Lifelong Fight Against Racism (slamonline.com))
(Bleacher Report) (Bill Russell: The Greatest Shot Blocker of All Time | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report)
