He supported Muhammad Ali when the fighter refused to go to Vietnam. In 1966 Wilt Chamberlain was traded from the Golden State warriors to his new hometown Philadelphia 76ers. I mean, he just did what he had to do, and he wasn't as vocal as Ali, as we all know. I mean, you've won so many accolades. Why this film and why now? MARTIN: Do you kind of get the feeling that, in a way, his story was hiding in plain sight? Bill Russell had a delayed emergence. WebAbout Bill Russell Composer William "Bill" Russell (February 26, 1905 August 9, 1992) was an American music historian and modernist composer. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, file), Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Trump cowboy found not guilty of campaign finance charge, Obama praises woman behind Fired up chant as she retires, India urges G-20 ministers to look beyond East-West crisis, Sheriff: Florida man fatally shot teenage daughter, 3 others, N. Korea wants more control over farming amid food shortage, NYC bike path killer doesnt testify in death penalty phase, San Diego lawyer sentenced to prison for stealing $5K worth of life insurance premium payments, Driver extricated from overturned car after crashing off I-5 in La Jolla, RFK killer Sirhan Sirhan denied parole by California board, 25 years to life in prison for nanny who fatally injured 4-week-old baby in her care, Imperial Beach school placed on lockdown after unsubstantiated threat of gun on campus. And she said What!. One imagines you could do any number of subjects at this stage of your career. Five times he was named the NBAs Most Valuable Player, and his 21,620 rebounds are second only to Chamberlains career mark. When Russell was 10, his father, Charlie, fed up with trying to navigate a racially charged South, moved his family across the country to Oakland, California, where he found work at a shipyard. His home was accosted on a few occasions, and he heard he would not get MVP because he was black from a reporter. His Born on 12 February 1934, Bill Russells age was 88 Years Old when he passed away on 31 July 2022. POLLARD: Yeah, because I think most people see him just as a great sports figure, a legend on the basketball court, and really didn't really dig into how complex his life was off the court. Who was Bill Russells wife? And one of them slapped me as they went by. The ball went up, and Bob Pettit of the Hawks and I jumped for it. But the thing that Bill Russell was always focused on as a player was being a member of the Celtic family. His family said on social media that Russell died on Sunday, July 31, 2022. Bill Russells family announced his demise through a statement on Sunday, July 31. Have something to tell us about this article? At the age of 9 he moved to Oakland. For the first time in the Bill Russell- Wilt Chamberlain rivalry Chamberlain could not say he did not have the team to beat the Celtics, although many contend that the Celtics were evenly match if not inferior in talent to their many rivals. Russell knew that he had won, but he wanted to win over Chamberlain, and did not. However, they divorced in 1973. The statement draws attention to his achievements and contributions outside the field over the years. Bill Russell Wife, Children. A San Diego judge had a defendants 13-year-old daughter handcuffed. In the 1962/63 season, Russell was named the NBA Most Valuable Player and won the honour again the following year after winning the NBA championship again. He stood side-by-side with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s, the height of the civil rights movement. "Here is a Black man from Oakland, surrounded by Black people most of his life," Pollard said. With his first wife, Rose, to whom he was married for 17 years, he had three children: a daughter, Karen, and two sons, Buddha He helped start the National Basketball Players Association. But the Celtics kept winning, and he remained the engine that made them go. Bill Russells Mom Changed His Life Forever By Making Him Fight 5 Guys In The Projects To Learn A Lesson. After his death he was interred in Lake View Cemetery in Seattle WA. Thats what I did, Russell said in 2009. After a successful off-Broadway run, the production became the only one from that theater to ever become a film in 1973. Russell's 6'9" frame also earned plenty of attention. Russell, while no behemoth, was tall enough to make his high school team on height alone. Bill Russell married his college Girlfriend Rose Swisher in 1956 and had one daughter named Karen Russell and two sons named William Russell Jr & Jacob Russell from the wedlock. He marched in Mississippi after the slaying of civil rights leader Medgar Evers. While studying at the McClymonds High School, he was introduced to basketball as he participated in the school team. This intensity not only paid off in the Olympics, and in college, but it would have an immediate impact in the NBA. Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. William Felton Russell was born Feb. 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana, before his family moved west, settling in Oakland, California. This site uses cookies to serve you better. He was 88 years old. Russells Celtics ruled the roost at a time when the minuscule number of teams (the NBA consisted of eight or nine franchises for the majority of his career) made for a greatly condensed talent pool, and a combination of integration and improved scouting brought on an unprecedented rush of new stars. Russell married his first wife Rose in 1956, and the couple had their first child, William Jr., the year after. While in Oakland he was very poor but became a skillful basketball player. Or expensive cars with souped-up sound systems so he could blare the music of Laura Nyro, Janis Ian, or Crosby, Stills and Nash some of his favorites. Being fearless on the basketball court was easy. His mind was bigger than basketball, author Taylor Branch, who spent about a year living with Russell near Seattle in the 1970s while working with him on a book, said Sunday. After his retirement, he served as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics (197377) and the Sacramento Kings (198788), served as a commentator on television broadcasts of NBA games, and continued to remain active in social causes. Sam Pollard, thanks so much for talking with us. However, they separated three years later in 1980. Associated With. Hall of Fame basketball center Bill Russell led the University of San Francisco to consecutive NCAA titles before starting his pro career with the Boston Celtics in 1956. And, you know, for me as a filmmaker, that gave me an opportunity to dig into Bill Russell's life, which was much more complicated than most people know, and that he was not only a great player on the court, but he was a very important human and civil rights activist off the court, too. The cemetery is also the final resting place of martial arts action star Bruce Lee and his son Brandon Lee. Saw no point to them. In 2011, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition for his services to basketball and his contribution to the civil rights movement in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. He would not let his defeat in 1967 keep him down. He would direct his blocks to a player releasing on a fast break or off the backboard to keep the ball in play. President Barack Obama at about 6-foot-2, a taller-than-average individual had to stretch a bit when draping the Presidential Medal of Freedom around Russells neck in 2011, even after Russell crouched down to accommodate the moment. The family moved from Louisiana to Oakland during World War II due to employment opportunities for the blacks in the west at the time. The premise was that it had to be difficult for Russell to live in such a place, to play for fans in such a city. Russell went to the police, who surmised that raccoons must be the culprits. This year, alongside Gail Goodrich and Happy Hairston, and a very deep bench, which included future Laker's Coach Pat Riley the Lakers looked to beat the Celtics for the first time in the Finals. Moreover, the Celtics needed to move up in the draft order to pick him; with Russell coming off two straight NCAA titles, some team was bound to take the plunge. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. He was a He led the Boston Celtics to an astounding 11 Championships from 1957 to Meanwhile, Bills first marriage was to Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973, Dorothy Anstett from 1977 to 1980, and Marilyn Nault from 1996 to 2009. She is still alive today. Russell was grief-stricken by the death of his mother, whod been his biggest advocate and pushed him to work hard in school. He could care less, you know, about being someone that He had led the university team, the San Francisco Dons, to successive NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) championships in 1955 and 1956, a dream run that had included an astonishing streak of 55 wins in a row. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Game Seven in the Finals was one of the most legendary ever played in the history of American sports. The NBA legend was a victim of racism, and not even his basketball fame helped him. The Celtics dynasty retooled over the years between 1956 and 1969, but the one constant was Russell. She went on to win theMiss Washington USA1968 crown title. NBA legend Bill Russell passed away at the age of 88. Featured Image by Bill Russell / Instagram. The couple got divorced in 1973. It would be a disservice an insult, really to look at Russell as only a basketball player, even as one of the greatest ever. His early childhood was shaped by poor health, as the sickly Russell battled several different illnesses. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. He won the NCAA in his finals and even earned recognition as a shot-blocker and defensive maestro. Like, we certainly know, when it comes to Jackie Robinson, you know, the abuse that was directed at him. First Laker's owner Jack Kent Cooke had filled the rafters with purple and yellow balloons balloons and intended to drop them after the Lakers won. Bill Russell achieved a lot during his life. So I think he wasn't just - he wasn't as vocal and he didn't have as much exposure as they did. All-NBA Second Team (1958, 1960-1962, 1964, 1966-1968). Holds career playoff record for most rebounds (4,104, 24.9 rpg) in 165 games. Accuracy and availability may vary. Russell's BroBible is the #1 place on the internet for the very best content from the worlds of sports, culture, gear, high tech, and more. 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