Bill Russell

American basketball player and coach (1934–2022) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.[2] Russell is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Quick facts: Personal information, Born, Died, Listed heig...
Bill Russell
Bill_russell_dribbling_%28cropped%29.jpg
Russell with the Boston Celtics, c.1960
Personal information
Born(1934-02-12)February 12, 1934
Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedJuly 31, 2022(2022-07-31) (aged 88)
Mercer Island, Washington, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)[1]
Career information
High schoolMcClymonds (Oakland, California)
CollegeSan Francisco (1953–1956)
NBA draft1956: 1st round, 2nd overall pick
Selected by the St. Louis Hawks
Playing career1956–1969
PositionCenter
Number6
Coaching career1966–1988
Career history
As player:
19561969Boston Celtics
As coach:
19661969Boston Celtics
19731977Seattle SuperSonics
1987–1988Sacramento Kings
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Career NBA playing statistics
Points14,522 (15.1 ppg)
Rebounds21,620 (22.5 rpg)
Assists4,100 (4.3 apg)
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com
Career coaching record
NBA341–290 (.540)
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
Basketball Hall of Fame as coach
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the Flag_of_the_United_States_%281912-1959%29.svg United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1956 MelbourneTeam competition
Close

At the University of San Francisco, Russell led the San Francisco Dons to consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956.[3] He was named NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, and captained the gold medal-winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics.[4]

After being chosen by the St. Louis Hawks with the second overall pick in the 1956 NBA draft, Russell was traded to the Boston Celtics for Celtics center Ed Macauley and small forward Cliff Hagan. With Russell as their starting center and defensive anchor, the Celtics went on to win their first NBA championship in 1957 and won an NBA record eight consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a 12-time NBA All-Star, Russell's rebounding, defense, and leadership made him one of the dominant players of his era.[5][6][7][8] Standing at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) tall, with a 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) arm span,[9][10] his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' dominance during his career. Russell also led the NBA in rebounds four times, had a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds,[11] and remains second all-time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. Russell played in the wake of black pioneers Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Sweetwater Clifton, and he was the first black player to achieve superstar status in the NBA. During the final three seasons of his career (1966–1969), he served as player-coach of the Celtics, becoming the first black NBA coach and the first black NBA coach to win a championship.[12] Russell ended his playing career and left his position as Celtics coach after helping the Celtics win the 1969 NBA championship.

Russell served as head coach and general manager of the Seattle Supersonics from 1973 to 1977. He also coached the Sacramento Kings from 1987 to 1988. Russell worked as a color commentator and authored several books.

Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, was one of the founding inductees into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007. He was selected into the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971 and the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1980, was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996[4] (being one of only four players to receive all three honors), and was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. In 2009, the NBA renamed the NBA Finals MVP Award in his honor.[13] In 2011, Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments on the court and in the civil rights movement.[14] In 2021, Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a second time in recognition of his coaching career.[15] Shortly after his death in 2022, the NBA retired Russell's #6 jersey league-wide, making him the only player in NBA history to receive that honor.[16]