![]() ![]() His father was described as a "stern, hard man" who initially worked in a paper factory as a janitor, which was a typical "Negro Job"-low-paid and not intellectually challenging, as sports journalist John Taylor commented. While there, they fell into poverty and Russell spent his childhood living in a series of public housing projects. When Russell was eight years old, his father moved the family out of Louisiana and settled in Oakland, California. ĭuring World War II, the Second Great Migration began, as large numbers of blacks were moving to the West to look for work there. He told her to go home and remove the dress, which he described as "white woman's clothing". In another incident, Russell's mother was walking outside in a fancy dress when a white policeman accosted her. 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. Russell's father was once refused service at a gas station until the staff had taken care of all the white customers first. Like almost all Southern towns and cities of that time, Monroe was very segregated and the Russells often struggled with racism in their daily lives. Russell was born on February 12, 1934, to Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana. ![]() 10 Racist abuse, controversy, and relationship with Boston fans.4.2 West Coast Conference's Russell Rule.3.3.3 1966–1969: Player-coach champion and final years. ![]() 3.3.2 1958–1966: Eight straight NBA championships.3.3.1 1956–1958: Rookie champion and early years.Shortly after his death in 2022, the NBA retired Russell's #6 jersey league-wide, becoming the only player in NBA history to receive the honor. In 2021, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a second time for his coaching career. In 2009, the NBA renamed the NBA Finals MVP Award in his honor. He was selected into the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971 and the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1980, named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, one of only four players to receive all three honors, and selected into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. 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. In 2011, Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments on the court and in the civil rights movement. He also served a three-season (1966–69) stint as player-coach for the Celtics, becoming the first black coach in the NBA and the first to win a championship. ![]() 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. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed more than 50 rebounds in a game. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities, and he led the NBA in rebounds four times, had a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds, and remains second all time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. Standing at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) tall, with a 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) arm span, his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' dominance during his career. ĭespite 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. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics. He led the San Francisco Dons to two consecutive NCAA championships in 19, and he captained the gold-medal winning U.S. Russell is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Russell and Henri Richard of the National Hockey League are tied for the record of the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a 12-time NBA All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career. William Felton Russell (Febru– July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. 2× Consensus first-team All-American ( 1955, 1956).NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player ( 1955).NBA anniversary team ( 25th, 35th, 50th, 75th). ![]()
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