Bill Russell

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Lore & Background

Russell played college basketball for the San Francisco Dons, leading them to consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. He was named NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player (MOP), and captained the gold medal-winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics. These victories along with his NBA championships made Russell one of only eight players in the history of men's basketball to achieve the Triple Crown. After being chosen by the St. Louis Hawks with the second overall pick in the 1956 NBA draft, Russell was traded to the Boston Celtics for Celtics center Ed Macauley and small forward Cliff Hagan. With Russell as their starting center and defensive anchor, the Celtics went on to win their first NBA championship in 1957 and won an NBA record eight consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a 12-time NBA All-Star, Russell's rebounding, defense, and leadership made him one of the dominant players of his era. Standing at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) tall, with a 7-foot-4-inch (2.24 m) arm span, his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' dominance during his career. Russell also 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. 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. During the final three seasons of his career (1966–1969), he served as player-coach of the Celtics, becoming the first black NBA coach to win a championship. Russell ended his playing career and left his position as Celtics coach after helping the Celtics win the 1969 NBA championship. Russell served as head coach and general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics from 1973 to 1977. He also coached the Sacramento Kings from 1987 to 1988. Russell also worked as a color commentator and authored several books.

In Their Own Story

The Garden air was thick with tension, the score tied with seconds remaining. The opposing guard drove hard, eyes locked on the rim, expecting an easy layup. But Bill Russell was already there, a shadow rising from the floor. He didn't just block the shot; he swatted it into the third row, his arms stretching toward the rafters as if claiming the arena itself. The roar of the crowd shifted instantly from anxiety to adoration. In that split second, Russell wasn't just defending a basket; he was asserting that no one could score over him without paying a price.

Reader's Guide

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. He was selected into the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971 and the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1980, was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 (being one of only four players to receive all three honors), and was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. In 2009, the NBA renamed the NBA Finals MVP Award in his honor. In 2011, Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments on the court and in the civil rights movement. In 2021, Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a second time in recognition of his coaching career. Shortly after his death in 2022, the NBA retired Russell's #6 jersey league-wide, making him the only player in NBA history to receive that honor, as well as the third person in North American major professional sports to have their jersey number retired league-wide, behind Jackie Robinson and Wayne Gretzky.

Did You Know?

• Russell was born in West Monroe, Louisiana, and moved to Oakland, California, at age eight.
• He was cut from his junior high basketball team and nearly cut again in high school before coach George Powles saw his potential.
• Russell was the first black NBA coach to win a championship, serving as player-coach for the Celtics from 1966 to 1969.
• He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 by President Barack Obama.

The Foundation of a Champion

Born William Felton Russell on February 12, 1934, in West Monroe, Louisiana, to Charles and Katie Russell, he faced early racism in the segregated South. When Russell was eight, his father moved the family to Oakland, California, during the Second Great Migration. They fell into poverty, and Russell spent his childhood in public housing projects. His mother died suddenly when he was 12. His father gave up trucking to become a steelworker to be closer to his children. Russell initially struggled with basketball—he was cut from the team at Herbert Hoover Junior High School and nearly cut again as a freshman at McClymonds High School. Coach George Powles saw his raw athletic potential, gave him a spot on the varsity team, and bought him a yearlong community center membership. Russell later recalled that warm words from Powles reassured him after negative experiences with white authority figures. He graduated from McClymonds in 1952. After being ignored by college recruiters, Hal DeJulio from the University of San Francisco offered him a scholarship. At USF, Russell led the Dons to consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, was named NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player, and captained the gold medal-winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics. These victories along with his NBA championships made Russell one of only eight players in men's basketball history to achieve the Triple Crown.

The Celtics Dynasty

After being chosen by the St. Louis Hawks with the second overall pick in the 1956 NBA draft, Russell was traded to the Boston Celtics for Celtics center Ed Macauley and small forward Cliff Hagan. Standing 6 ft 10 in with a 7-foot-4-inch arm span, Russell became the defensive anchor. With Russell as their starting center, the Celtics won their first NBA championship in 1957 and won an NBA record eight consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966. Over his 13-year career, he helped secure 11 NBA championships. He was a five-time NBA MVP and a 12-time NBA All-Star. He led the NBA in rebounds four times and had a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. He remains second all-time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. 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.

Breaking Barriers as Player-Coach

During the final three seasons of his career (1966–1969), Russell served as player-coach of the Celtics, becoming the first black NBA coach to win a championship. He ended his playing career and left his position as Celtics coach after helping the Celtics win the 1969 NBA championship. Russell also served as head coach and general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics from 1973 to 1977 and coached the Sacramento Kings from 1987 to 1988. He also worked as a color commentator and authored several books.

Enduring Legacy and Honors

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. He was selected into the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971 and the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1980, was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 (being one of only four players to receive all three honors), and was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. In 2009, the NBA renamed the NBA Finals MVP Award in his honor. In 2011, Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments on the court and in the civil rights movement. In 2021, Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a second time in recognition of his coaching career. Shortly after his death in 2022, the NBA retired Russell's #6 jersey league-wide, making him the only player in NBA history to receive that honor, as well as the third person in North American major professional sports to have their jersey number retired league-wide, behind Jackie Robinson and Wayne Gretzky.