And what we would do is[Auerbach] trusted all his playersso like when he'd make a coaching decision, he could talk: he talked to [Bob] Cousey [who is white], he talked to me [black], he talked to [Bill] Sharman [white], he talked to Sam [Jones] [black]all of us: 'What do you think?' Bill Russell Enlarge Image In 1970 he was named "Athlete of the Decade" by Sporting News and in 1980, The Professional Basketball Writers Association of America recognized him as the "Greatest Player in the History of the NBA". [209] He was livid with Russell and saw him as a backstabber. Well, that let me know that if I were to accept these as the final judges of my career I would die a bitter old man." In 2009, the NBA renamed the NBA Finals MVP Award in his honor. 6 for most regular season MVPNBA Finals MVP awards, despite the latter being assigned only since 1969. [50] Auerbach later said that Brown offered Harrison guaranteed performances of the Ice Capades if they did not draft Russell; it is difficult to verify or disprove this, but it is clear that the Royals underrated Russell. Bill Russell served as player/coach in his final three seasons with the Boston Celtics, winning the NBA title in 1968 and 1969. Her husband Bill died peacefully at her side at their Mercer Island, Washington, Home on July 31, 2022. At age 35, Russell contributed with 6 points, 21 rebounds, and 6 assists in his last NBA game. [199][200] Russell's motto became: "If you disrespect that line, you disrespect me. You are less. [49] He excelled at playing man-to-man defense, blocking shots, and grabbing defensive rebounds. So we never, or at least I never, ever considered him as having ulterior motives for whatever he did. After he graduated, the NCAA rules committee instituted a second new rule to counter the play of big men like Russell; basket interference was now prohibited. The property covers just under half an acre. But now she has been passing from the deep pain of her husband's death. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. There is a problem with your email/password. pageTracker._trackPageview(); One of his highest jumps occurred at the WCR, where he achieved a mark of .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}6feet 9+14inches (2.06m);[43] at the meet, Russell tied Charlie Dumas, who would later in the year win gold in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia for the United States and become the first person to high-jump 7 feet (2.13m). [101], In the 196768 NBA season, the 34-year-old Russell averaged 12.5 points per game and 18.6 rebounds per game,[1] the latter of which was good enough for the third-highest average in the league. He was named "Sportsman of the Year" in 1968 by Sports Illustrated . "I was offered the head coaching job with the Sonics in 1974. [67][108] The Celtics held on for a 108106 victory and Russell claimed his eleventh championship in thirteen years. [103], In Game 7, 15,202 Philadelphia fans witnessed a home-team 10096 defeat, making it the first time in NBA history a team lost a series after leading 31. During a conversation with students, a reporterunknown to Russellheard Russell describe Chamberlain as a malingerer and accused him of "copping out" of the game when it seemed that the Lakers would lose. Date of Birth: Feb 12, 1934 - Jul 31, 2022 (88 years old) Place of Birth: Russell said he was "proud of my grandfather's heroic dignity against forces more powerful than him he would not allow himself to be oppressed or intimidated by anyone." Bill Russell is saying goodbye to his Washington home after nearly 50 years. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. [19] While there, they fell into poverty and Russell spent his childhood living in a series of public housing projects. He wrote these words after recounting how grandfather Jake Russell had stood up to the Ku Klux Klan and other whites who attempted to thwart his efforts to build a schoolhouse for black children; his grandfather was the first person in Russell's patrilineal line born free in North America and was himself illiterate. He was the Celtics pride. Add to your scrapbook. To use this feature, use a newer browser. [21] Of Russell the college basketball player, Mikan said: "Let's face it, he's the best ever. [61] In Boston, both fans and journalists felt betrayed because Russell left the Celtics without a coach and a center, and he sold his retirement story for $10,000 to Sports Illustrated. He is an American by nationality and has a belief in the Catholic Christian religion. Last sold in 2021 for 2.5M. [84] President John F. Kennedy posed for a picture with Auerbach and the nine Celtics but not Russell, who overslept because he thought it was just a tour of the White House and did not know President Kennedy would be meeting them. "); [3] Russell is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? [41] While blocked shots were not a recorded basketball statistic during Russell's career, he averaged 8.1 blocks in 135 games, as Boston writers often attempted to tally his blocks. [104] After losing for the fifth straight time against Russell and the Celtics, Hall-of-Fame Lakers guard Jerry West stated: "If I had a choice of any basketball player in the league, my No. It is with a very heavy heart we would like to pass along to all of Bills friends, fans, & followers: Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully today at age 88, with his wife, Jeannine, by his side.. "[49] That playoff series ended in a dramatic Game 7, when the Sixers were trailing 110109 five seconds before the end, but Russell turned over the ball. Suddenly, his grandfather broke down crying. [162] In 2022, he was ranked No. [67] On November 7, 1959, Russell's Celtics hosted Chamberlain's Warriors and pundits called the matchup between the best offensive and defensive centers "The Big Collision" and "Battle of the Titans". [98] On April 16, 1966, Russell agreed to become head coach of the Celtics, and a public announcement was made two days later. [5], Despite his limitations on offense, as Russell averaged 15.1 points per game, his rebounding, defense, and leadership made him one of the dominant players of his era. He modeled achievement. Family members linked to this person will appear here. William Felton Russell died Sunday with his wife Jeannine at his side. [192], During his career, Russell was one of the first big earners in NBA basketball. Search above to list available cemeteries. Russell retires and settles in Mercer Island, Wash. He was 88. Please enter your email and password to sign in. The home also has a four-car garage. Failed to report flower. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. The couple grew emotionally distant and divorced. [18][169] However, the NBA players who currently wore the number 6 jersey (i.e. [49][89], In the 196364 NBA season, the Celtics posted a league-best 5822 record in the regular season. [49] On offense, Russell's output was limited and his NBA career personal averages show him to be an average scorer (15.1 points career average), a poor free-throw shooter (56.1%), and average overall shooter from the field (44%, not exceptional for a center). As a high schooler, Russell won two state championships with McClymonds High School in Oakland, California despite not having the best fundamentals. "[49], The Celtics swept the Nationals in three games to earn the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance in the 1957 NBA Finals,[62] where they met the St. Louis Hawks, led by Pettit and former Celtic Ed Macauley. The two men did not speak to each other for more than twenty years until Russell met with Chamberlain and personally apologized. $2,750,000. Russell remains the NBA star with the maximum number of NBA championships, a record most consider unbreakable now. [181] In 1996, Russell married his third wife, Marilyn Nault;[182] their marriage lasted until her death in January 2009. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. The Celtics rallied back, winning Game 5 122104 and Game 6 114106, powered by a spirited Havlicek and helped by a terrible Sixers shooting slump. The Lakers featured new recruit Chamberlain next to perennial stars Baylor and West, and were the favorites. Russell also had seven regular-season games with 40 or more rebounds, the NBA Finals record for highest rebound per game average (29.5, 1959) and by a rookie (22.9, 1957). September 1, 2021 7:32 AM. Nora Fatehi | Bad Bunny | Kobe Bryant | He told her to go home and remove the dress, which he described as "white woman's clothing". [68] Both men awed onlookers with "nakedly awesome athleticism",[68] and while Chamberlain outscored Russell 30 to 22, the Celtics won 115106, and the match was called a "new beginning of basketball". He is an avid golfer and makes occasional public appearances. Since his retirement Bill Russell has lived on Mercer Island, Lake Washington, near Seattle. Becca Bristow shared her healthy pizza recipe that includes probiotic pizza crust and organic mozzarella cheese. [177], On August 2, 2020, the West Coast Conference (WCC), which has been home to Russell's alma mater of USF since the league's formation in 1952,[178][a] became the first NCAA Division I conference to adopt a conference-wide diversity hiring commitment, announcing the Russell Rule, named after Russell and based on the National Football League's Rooney Rule. [141], Russell is one of the most successful and decorated athletes in North American sports history. [109][220], Russell refused to attend the ceremony when his jersey No. Following Chamberlain's death in October 1999, Russell returned to prominence at the turn of the millennium. [12] Russell averaged 16.6 points per game and a league-record average of 22.7 rebounds per game. When I started to jump to make defensive plays and to block shots, I was initially corrected, but I stuck with it, and it paid off. But there's another type who makes the players around him look better than they are, and that's the type Russell was. [152] In 2009, Russell's erstwhile Knicks opponent Bill Bradley wrote in The New York Times Book Review that Russell "was the smartest player ever to play the game [of basketball]". Russell in fact was a mediocre ball handler, and Auerbach instructed him to avoid shooting or carrying the ball. When he attempted to leave and find a different station, the attendant stuck a shotgun in his face and threatened to kill him if he did not stay and wait his turn. (undisclosed Address), Mercer Island, WA 98040. The greatest winner in professional sports Russell's 11 championships in 13 seasons is a mark unlikely to. He was voted the NBA Most Valuable Player but only named to the All-NBA Second Team, something that would occur repeatedly throughout his career, as players voted for the MVP award, something that would last until the 197980 NBA season, while the media has always voted for the All-NBA teams. Despite the passing of years and the increasing number of fans who never saw him play, Bill Russell remains a basketball icon. Year should not be greater than current year. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of William Russell (242184906)? Copyright 2023 IBTimes LLC. He was a friend of players, celebrities and Presidents. [102] In the Eastern Division Finals of the 1968 NBA playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers had the better record than Boston and were the favorites. [183] Russell was married to Jeannine Russell at the time of his death. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. [110] Russell notified Auerbach that he was resigning to join a career in television and movies "in order to find new sources of income for the future". As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. The game was tied with two seconds left when Sam Jones sank a clutch shot that won the Celtics the series. English [125], Russell made few public appearances in the early 1990s, living as a near-recluse on Mercer Island, Washington, near Seattle. , Mikan said: `` If you disrespect me of years and the number! [ 49 ] he excelled at playing man-to-man defense, blocking shots, that! S 11 championships in 13 seasons is a mark unlikely to [ 209 ] he excelled at playing defense... Nba season, the NBA Finals MVP awards, despite the passing of and... 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