BILL RUSSELL


Born;
February 12, 1934
Monroe, LA

Enshrined;
April 28, 1975



Won an amazing 11 NBA championships with Boston Celtics in 13 seasons (1957, 1959-66, 1968-69)

NBA Most Valuable Player (1958, 1961-63, 1965)

All-NBA First Team (1959, 1963, 1965)

All-NBA Second Team (1958, 1960-62, 1964, 1966-68)

NBA All-Defensive First Team (1969)

Twelve-time NBA All-Star (1958-69)

MVP All-Star Game (1963) after 19 points and 24 rebounds

Holds the NBA single-game record for most rebounds in a half (32) vs. Philadelphia on Nov. 16, 1957

Celtics's all-time leading rebounder (21,620, 22.5 rpg) in 963 games; second best in history

Holds career playoff record for most rebounds (4,104, 24.9 rpg) in 165 games

Holds NBA Finals record for highest rebound per game average (29.5 rpg, 1959) and by a rookie (22.9 rpg, 1957)

Holds NBA Finals single-game record for most free throws attempted in one half (15, April 11, 1961) vs. St. Louis.

Most rebounds (40, March 29, 1960 vs. St. Louis

And April 18, 1962 vs. Los Angeles); most rebounds by a rookie (32, April 13, 1967 vs. St. Louis); and most rebounds in a quarter (19, April 18, 1962 vs. Los Angeles)

Grabbed a career-high 51 rebounds vs. Syracuse (Feb. 5, 1960), making him one of two players ever (Wilt Chamberlain) to grab more than 50 boards in a game

Had seven games with 40 or more rebounds

Led the NBA in rebounding in first three seasons (19.6, 22.7, 23.0) and five times overall

Led the NBA in minutes played (1959, 42.5 mpg) and in 1965 (44.5 mpg)

Scored 14,522 points (15.1 ppg) in his career and averaged 16.2 ppg in 165 playoff games

Declared Greatest Player in the History of the NBA by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America (1980)

NBA 25th Anniversary All-Time Team (1970)

NBA 35th Anniversary All-Time Team (1980)

NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996)

Named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated (1968)

Pro Coaching:

NBA Boston Celtics, player/head coach (1966-69)

NBA Seattle Supersonics (1973-77)

NBA Sacramento Kings (1987-88)





Bill Russell's legacy: Defense wins championships. Before Bill Russell brought his marvelous defensive and shot blocking skills to basketball, the game focused primarily on offense. But Russell initiated a defensive mentality that remains a focal part of championship basketball at every level. Without a doubt, Russell was the greatest defensive center in the history of basketball. Russell cultivated his skills at the University of San Francisco, under Hall of Fame Coach Phil Woolpert. The agile Russell was a dominant collegian, and teamed with fellow Hall of Famer K.C. Jones to make USF one of college basketball's most exciting and prosperous teams. Russell led the Dons to 55 consecutive victories and capped his collegiate years with the 1955 and 1956 NCAA championships. In 1955 and 1956, Russell earned All-America honors and was named national Player of the Year in 1956. Russell delayed his professional career so he could play in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. Along with his USF teammate Jones, Russell led the U.S. to an 8-0 record and the gold medal.

Russell played in 48 of the Boston Celtics' 72 games as a rookie, and his presence in the Celtics' lineup began a dynasty in Boston rivaled in sports only by John Wooden's UCLA Bruins and baseball's New York Yankees. Russell turned Boston into a powerful machine that overwhelmed opponents both defensively and offensively. During Russell's career, Boston won 11 NBA championships, including eight consecutive from 1959 to 1966. Russell's head-to-head battles with Wilt Chamberlain in the 1950s and 1960s are legendary. In their first highly anticipated showdown on Nov. 7, 1959, Russell grabbed an amazing 35 rebounds and Boston won 115-106. Russell's accolades include: five-time league MVP (1958,1961-63, 1965), 12-time All-Star Game participant (MVP in 1963), Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1968 and The Sporting News Athlete of the Decade in 1970.

This defensive wizard, who once had 51 rebounds in a game against Syracuse in 1960, led the NBA in rebounding five times and grabbed 21,620 rebounds (second all-time), averaged 15.1 ppg and 22.5 rpg for his career. At the beginning of the 1967 season, the Celtics named Russell to succeed Red Auerbach as head coach, making him the first ever black NBA head coach. Russell served as player/coach from 1967 to 1969, and led Boston to the 1968 and 1969 NBA titles. Russell was named to the All-NBA 25th and 35th Anniversary Teams in 1970 and 1980 and the 50th Team in 1996.






QUOTES

"The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot."

"Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory."

"Durability is part of what makes a great athlete."

"Most people have a harder time letting themselves love than finding someone to love them."

"What's more important than who's going to be the first black manager is who's going to be the first black sports editor of the New York Times.".








March 12, 1972