Died on July 31, 2022 at the age of 88, Bill Russell was an icon of American basketball, both thanks to his exploits on and off the NBA floor. Indeed, his actions off the field have elevated him to the pantheon of the most influential athletes of his generation. On the occasion of the release of a Netflix documentary retracing all the stages of his life, Business Cool looks back on the journey of one of the greatest legends in the history of sport.
Bill Russell’s youth
William Felton Russell, known as “Bill” Russell, was born on February 12, 1934 in the town of Monroe, Louisiana. Faced with the segregation and racism characteristic of the time, Bill and his family decided to move to Oakland, California, not far from San Francisco. Although he excelled in athletics, he showed no particular predisposition for basketball, even if his physical qualities were unusual at the time.
In great difficulty with the fundamentals of basketball, Bill Russell is not even kept on his college team. His resilience, a quality that will define his personality throughout his life, will allow him to enter the high school of McClymonds High School. Although he was little used during his first year, he persevered and gradually established himself as a referenced defender. He then caught the eye of a recruiter from the University of San Francisco who offered him a scholarship to join his team: young Bill’s career was launched.
Bill Russell’s sporting career
Bill Russell’s college career
In 1953, Bill Russell therefore joins the team of Donations from San Francisco, where he played four seasons. He then became famous for his iron defense and his qualities as a blocker: he is the most feared defender in the whole country, at his height of 2m06. Building on this reputation, he twice took his team to the NCAA title in 1955 and 1956, the highest collective university distinction in the United States. He was also elected MOP (Most Outstanding Player) during the team’s first coronation and established himself as one of the future big names in basketball in the world.
If his accomplishments in basketball speak for him, Bill Russell also participates in athletics and excels in two events: the 400m and the high jump. In 1956, just crowned by his second NCAA crown, he won the high jump events during the Association of American Universities in California competitions, where he achieved one of the best performances of the time by clearing 2m06 : an athlete like one that rarely existed at the time.
Despite obvious predispositions for jumping and running, Bill Russell entered the 1956 NBA Draft and put athletics aside to focus 100% on basketball.
Bill Russell’s NBA career
His basketball career alone should be enough to give him a comfortable place among the greatest legends in the history of the NBA, and more generally in the history of sport. The most successful player in the history of American team sports with eleven championships acquired with the Boston Celtics (in twelve finals), 12 times All-Star, 22.5 rebounds per game on career average… The list of his accomplishments is unequivocally. For comparison, Michael Jordan, considered the greatest player in history, won “only” six titles.
If the legend of Bill Russell was built by his individual and collective exploits with the Celtics, we must not forget that his rivalry with Wilt Chamberlain, another legend of the game, also participated in the glorification of his career. The two pivots were the two emblematic figures of the NBA at that time and largely contributed to the growth of the Great League and a game that had become played worldwide.
Bill Russell’s track record
His collective record
Bill Russell is the most awarded player in NBA history with 11 championship titles under his belt, won between 1957 and 1968 with the Boston Celtics. Only the titles of 1958 and 1967 escaped him during these thirteen years of (almost) unchallenged domination. He was also Olympic champion in 1956, and NCAA champion in 1955 and 1956.
His personal distinctions
- 12-time All-Star
- 5 times MVP (Most Valuable Player)
- 4 times best rebounder in the league
- 2nd best rebounder in history with 21,620 rebounds
- 1962 All-Star Game MVP
- Sportsman of the year in 1968 according to the magazine Sports Illustrated
- Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975
- Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011, the highest civilian distinction, awarded by Barack Obama
Bill Russell, a legend beyond basketball
Bill Russell is also and above all one of the emblematic figures of the fight for civil rights for African-Americans, alongside many personalities of the time, such as Mohammed Ali. From the beginning of the 1960s, when the United States was plagued by racial segregation. When he arrived in the NBA, Bill Russell arrived in a league that was still overwhelmingly white. Through sport, he became the spearhead of an African-American community that was the target of discriminatory measures in many states. Seeing a black player dominate a major league so much is a real revolution for North American sport.
He will not tolerate anything in the direction of the slightest discrimination, even going so far as to get angry with Celtics fans and the city of Boston for several decades. Each day that passes is a further step forward in its quest for equality between all ethnic groups, so much so that in 1964, the Boston Celtics were the first team to field five black starters. Two years later, Bill Russell became the first African-American coach in the history of professional team sports in the United States and won three titles (he played the role of coach-player).
THE Civil Rights Act of 1964, putting an end to all forms of segregation and discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin sounds like a real victory for Bill Russell and all the people who gave body and soul to it. getting there: the greatest accomplishment of his life, without a doubt.
Bill Russell’s legacy
Bill Russell is still considered the best defender in basketball history; he was a great inspiration for all the great players (by size) who came after him. If he is recognized as a true legend of this sport due to his personal sporting achievements and his prize list, his political positions and his fight in the fight against segregation are undoubtedly his greatest victories and are still a source of inspiration. for new generations in a world where racism is still present.
In 2011, he became the first NBA player to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedomthe highest civilian distinction in Uncle Sam’s countries, witness to his impact on American society throughout his life. Despite retirement and a rather advanced age, he still remains an example for a large number of players today. His absolute desire to win has left its mark and will continue to make its mark beyond the boundaries of basketball, making him an icon of team sport as a whole. Following the announcement of his death, the NBA released a press release to also pay tribute to all the immensity of the player and the man. Bill Russell is also humble. His record will never have been a reason to put himself too far forward and he will look very favorably on the multiplication of talents playing in the league.
During the 2022-23 season, the jerseys of thirty NBA franchises are adorned with a number 6. This same number will be retired in all NBA franchises, a first in the history of American basketball, as a sign of a final tribute.
