Bill Russell Memorial Post

On July 31^st, 2022, legendary NBA superstar Bill Russell passed away at the age of 88.  I imagine most basketball fans (and majority of Celtics fans) at least have an idea that Russell was one of the most dominant players in NBA history.  While he is an all-time great basketball player and athlete (he was also an elite high jumper through college), I found his life and impact on both basketball and society to be fascinating.

At this point, the lore of Russell is that he was a good defender and the epitome of a winner, both of which were true.  He won 11 titled in 13 seasons and, per a recent episode of the Basketball Illuminati podcast, the Celtics went 20-27 in regular season games he missed after his rookie season (in other words, the dynastic Celtics were a team with a 0.426 win percentage without Russell).  While we can look at his numbers and see that he put up insane rebounding numbers and advanced metrics on defense, he revolutionized the way defense was played.  In an era where the general consensus was that the best defense was by being flatfooted and not jumping, Russell not only utilized his athlete jumping ability to block shots at a higher rate than others (though the stat was not officially kept, there are multiple sources who have said he and Wilt Chamberlain averaged over 8 blocks per game in around 100 games with the data available), he also was ahead of his time in determining when to block shots and how to angle the blocks to not give opponents an advantage.  He also was great at double teaming players, keeping up with multiple positions, switching onto other defenders, and dropping back into the paint to collapse on the offense, all of which were not commonplace at the time but are now staples to basketball.  He also appeared to be the one player to give Chamberlain, who was a few inches taller than Russell, a tough time at points, something that must be noted considering that nobody could do that.  One other aspect of his play that I don’t think enough people discuss is that he was a good playmaker in his era, something that historically was not as expected from big men; in 1964-65, he finished second on his team in assists and regularly had a high number of assists for big men of any generation.

When Russell was hired as a coach, he was the first black head coach in NBA history, which resulted in some doubt cast regarding how successful he would be (though most of that was likely attributed to his race).  In his introductory press conference, he emphasized that he got the job because he deserved it and that the most important thing to earn his respect in basketball was ability.  As a coach, he won 2 titles with the Celtics in 3 seasons and, not surprisingly, was smart with schemes on both ends, especially on defense.  What might have been more surprising was the fact that Russell seemed to master how to motivate his team.  One story in particular that I’ve heard was how in one championship over the Lakers, the Lakers’ owner was planning their championship parade prior to the series ending and Russell drilled that into the head of his team and motivated them to win a competitive series in spite of L.A.’s plans.  Like his predecessor, Red Auerbach, he didn’t appear to care about the race of the players he coached and preferred to focus on who would help the team.  While he didn’t have as much success as a coach in Seattle and Sacramento, he did lead a struggling Seattle franchise to their first two playoff appearances, making it to the second round in each season.

While there is a heavy focus on Russell’s on-court achievements, what he accomplished off the court might have been even more impressive.  In an era that was heavily marred by racism and inequality, he was a major public figure who marched with Martin Luther King Jr., supported Mohammad Ali’s refusal to be drafted, and supported those who participated in boycotts related to racial equality.  He experienced racism at a young age and was aware to it after it while not standing for it, even if a situation wasn’t intended as an insult.  One of my favorite stories related to him was when the owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, Abe Saperstein, invited Russell to tryout for the team but only would meet with Russell’s white college coach, Phil Woolpert, enraging Russell.  Ultimately, Russell opted to play in the game because he had the mindset that if Woolpert thought he was too smart to talk to Russell then Russell was too smart to play for Woolpert.  In 1961, he and 6 other black players boycotted an exhibition game between the Celtics and Hawks after 2 Celtics players and 2 Hawks players were denied service due to their race.  Throughout the 1960’s, he organized and spoke at several events to help black youth and young adults in both the Boston area and other locations.  Even late in life he continued his support, posting a picture of him kneeling in solidarity supporting Colin Kaepernick.

One thing that I believe not enough people have ever given him any sort of benefit of the doubt regarding is his personality.  He was often criticized throughout his career for not being friendly to fans, especially children (even resulting in the FBI to have a file for him since he was black and wouldn’t sign autographs).  I think this is extremely unfair due to both his background and the general expectations towards athletes and celebrities.  As implied before, his experiences with racism in the past likely spurned a response of skepticism when receiving praise, so I don’t think that is something that should be held against him.  Additionally, I have long been of the belief that celebrities should not necessarily be treated as role models, especially professional athletes, because the percentages of these individuals compared to the general population is so drastically slim.  In my mind, the fact that athletes in particular are expected to be role models just because they are notable figures is moronic since it doesn’t make sense to assume their talent at their respective sports should imply that they are model citizens.  While he received criticism for years after he abruptly retired as a player and coach after the 1969 season, I personally think this is admirable to realize when he wanted to end his career and when he felt ready.  There was one interview he had with Bill Simmons where he said he ultimately retired because he wasn’t sure he was the best in the league and didn’t want to play if he wasn’t the best, a sentiment that further showed his competitive nature.

In his later years, he reconciled with the Celtics and city of Boston, something that many in Boston were extremely excited about given his impact on the game and the franchise.  After his passing, his number was retired by the entire NBA, something that I think makes perfect sense given his impact on both the game and society, though I wish this was done in his lifetime.  I think that him seeing just how important he was and continues to be would have been the perfect thing for him to see late in life.  That said, I will always marvel at how he had an impact that was larger than life on the court while realizing that it paled in comparison to the impact he had off the court.