She grabbed the keys to the house and grabbed me. Tributes to the late Bill Russell poured in after the basketball legends death on Sunday, with former president Barack Obama expressing his admiration and condolences on social media. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro. The Celtics went on to win 8 more back-to-back NBA championships winning five against the Lakers in the finals to set up one of the biggest rivalries in the NBA. In his 1st season, the Celtics failed to reach and win the NBA finals for the 1st time in 8 years. WebBill Russell Legend on DVD - Both Episodes The life and career of Hall of Fame NBA player Bill Russell is celebrated in the documentary Bill Russel: Legend. On the court, Russell was a force to be reckoned with a champion who sacrificed himself for his teammates and love of basketball. What Russell did was close the circuit, creating turnovers that allowed Boston to get back on offense even faster, as well as patrol the paint with an intensity that single-handedly compensated for the Celtics imbalance. The comedy centered on a family in Harlem and addressed both the political and generational conflicts of the time. And finally today, we know it's all about football today, it being Super Bowl Sunday and all, but we're going to talk basketball for a minute to hear about one of the icons of that sport - Bill Russell. Bill was born in Louisiana in 1934. His on-court achievements did not give him a platform; instead, they granted him a strange kind of amnestythe very greatness that should have forced others to listen somehow overshadowed any trouble he might have wanted to stir up. Jeannine is a former professional golfer and was often seen on Bills social media: In other news, Best Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury memes after undefeated Brit beats YouTuber. Russell was married three times. The Celtics legend had four wives during his life, and is now the focus of a Netflix documentary called Bill Russell: Legend. And he wasn't as aggressive as Jim Brown could be, you know, when he was at his height as an actor and as an activist. Bill Russell achieved a lot during his life. You know, I thought he was one of the greatest defensive centers who ever played the game. The NBA great Bill Russell has died at age 88. POLLARD: Yeah, during the Boston bussing issue. Bill Russell married his college Girlfriend Rose Swisher in 1956 and had one daughter named Karen Russell and two sons named A look at Bill Russells family life Bill was born to Katie and Charles Russell. His family fell into poverty and they moved into housing projects and thats where this story picks up. She is reportedly a legal and political analyst who graduated from Georgetown University and Harvard Law School. [December 2003]. Hes still second on the NBAs all-time rebounding list, behind only Wilt Chamberlain, and will probably be in that spot forever since nobody has come remotely close to him in the last 50 years. MARTIN: That was award-winning director Sam Pollard. I mean, that famous photograph of the African American lawyer about to be, like, speared with a flag right downtown at city government center. Bill Russell would lead the Boston Celtics to 9 straight NBA titles, many times over vaunted rivals the Philadelphia Warriors, and later the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Coon. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: No. I say yes maam. No matter the game went to seven games when it should have been much shorter. And I'm just going to play a short clip about that. To help solve the child care crisis, new legislation would cap families costs and pay providers more, San Diego police want to power up some Smart Streetlights; add license plate readers as crime-fighting tool, Proposed bills could lead to more people being forced into mental health treatment, Demand for freshmen admission at UC San Diego drops for first time in roughly 20 years, Should backcountry builders fund city sidewalks and bike lanes? The family moved from Louisiana to Oakland during World War II due to employment opportunities for the blacks in the west at the time. On the road it was not uncommon for him to have to sleep in a different hotel from the one the rest of the club used. In 1956 Bill Russell entered the NBA draft. Two-time All-Conference, State, District and American. He was part of the March on Washington. The victory got Russell his 10th NBA Championship title in 12 career years and the Sports Illustrateds Sportsman of the Year Award. What I ascribed to do, and I did quite well, is every time I came into an adversarial situation, I decided to take control of it so that if a guy came up to me and tried to give me a bad day, I made sure that he was the one who left with the bad day, Russell said. That story was part of a THREE-HOUR interview with Bill Russell that is preserved in the Library Of Congress. MARTIN: Do you kind of get the feeling that, in a way, his story was hiding in plain sight? Be the first one to comment on this story. Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. After his initial retirement from basketball as a player-coach, Russell worked as a commentator from 1970-73 then returned to basketball to coach the Seattle Supersonics. MARTIN: I have to tell you, you've done so many things - produced and directed and edited award-winning feature films and documentaries. He married Dorothy Anstett, Miss USA, in 1968, but divorced in 1980. Is A Hot Dog A Sandwich? 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Who was Bill Russells wife? At the end of the season Wilt Chamberlain was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, taking Chamberlain to the other arch-rival of the Boston Celtics. At SportyTell.com, we strive for fairness and accuracy. Auerbachs lineup came out of necessity; he was notoriously indifferent to social causes and the opposing backlash. But I think this documentary will reset the clock on that and understand Bill from the other perspective, besides being a phenomenal basketball legend. He could care less, you know, about being someone that the Boston fans would love. The Greatest Food Debates Of All Time, Answered Pineapple On Pizza? Bill Russell's selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame for his coaching career was announced on May 16, 2021. It's no conversation. Beloved NBA legend Bill Russell has died at the age of 88, his family announced in a statement Sunday. Two years later, the couple welcomed a second son, There were things you might take away from Bill Russell and say, wow, you know, for him to have - hold this grudge against Wilt Chamberlain for so many years. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Site contains certain content that is owned A&E Television Networks, LLC. William Felton Russell Jr., also known as "Buddha," lost a courageous battle with cancer. He married Rose Swisher, his college sweetheart, in 1956. Accuracy and availability may vary. Bill shares all of his three children with his first wife. Doesnt matter whether you won or lost. After a successful off-Broadway run, the production became the only one from that theater to ever become a film in 1973. 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. While there is still progress to be made, the Hall of Famer should get a lot of credit for fighting against what was wrong. Russell, while no behemoth, was tall enough to make his high school team on height alone. moved his family over to Oakland, California, where With his first wife, Rose, to whom he was married for 17 years, he had three children: a daughter, Karen, and two sons, Buddha So did Russell. Despite winning 11 championships in 13 seasons with the Celtics, Russell greatly disliked playing in Boston and was often the target of racism. Played professional basketball for the Boston Celtics. The cemetery is also the final resting place of martial arts action star Bruce Lee and his son Brandon Lee. Throughout his career, Bill Russell won 11 NBA championship rings. Bill Russell, the greatest defensive player of all time, has a special place in the NBAs Hall of Fame. This unlikely superstar came into the NBA as a center for the Boston Celtics and played for the team for his entire 13 years of career. This is why you don't see just one author for this article. I had seen Bill Russell play. He won more championships than any other NBA player and made the Boston Celtics one of the most successful franchises in the league's history. Regarded as one of the best ever players in the history of National Basketball Association (NBA), William Felton Bill Russell is a retired professional basketball player who was the centerpiece of the Bostons Celtics dynasty for a period of 13 years. He was very famous for his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense which led his team to many victories in major tournaments. No one in the history of North American team sports won at a higher level than Bill Russell did as a member of the Boston Celtics, capturing 11 championships in his 13 seasons with the team. A post shared by ProCity Hoops (@procityhoops). Sam Pollard, thanks so much for talking with us. NBA Sacramento Kings, player/head coach (1987-1988). He was a And she said What!. Why this film and why now? SAM POLLARD: If it weren't for Bill Russell winning all them championships, would anybody be talking about the Boston Celtics? He was assaulted by a group of guys that ran by. He received as much as $100,001 annually, plus an extra $25,000 as a player-coach. With his first wife, Rose, to whom he was married for 17 years, he had three children: a daughter, Karen, and two sons, Buddha and Jacob. Bill Russell who was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks as its first-round second overall pick in the 1956 NBA draft earned a draft trade and was acquired by the Boston Celtics but soon after participated in the Olympics which delayed his participation with the Celtics. Russell died Sunday at the age of 88, with his wife, Jeannine, at his side, his family said in a statement posted on social media. He suffered a financially depressed childhood and faced racial discriminations as a black in the southern state of Louisiana, United States. 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. But by his senior year, his game had picked up enough to earn him a starting spot. Off the court, he was a force in the fight for human His early childhood was shaped by poor health, as the sickly Russell battled several different illnesses. Russell now had the daunting task of taking a bottom seed to defeat some of the best teams of all time, including a newly revamped Philadelphia after the Chamberlain trade, who they beat, and the New York Knickerbockers, led by Willis Reed, Walt Bellamy, and Walt Frazier, who they beat in 6, and set the match for the Los Angeles Lakers, which now had Chamberlain.Chamberlain, as well as Jerry West and Elgin Baylor always fell short to the Celtics. After losing manager Red Auerbach to retirement in the 1966/67 season, Russell picked up the managerial position as a player-coach. On joining the Celtics during the mid-season, he made his professional debut against the St. Louis Hawks. He was 88 years old. Bill Russells family announced his demise through a statement on Sunday, July 31. Bill was only nine years old at the time. She attended theUniversity of Washingtonwhere she majored in English but later found fame as a beauty queen and pageant titleholder. And he lived in Reading, Mass. Yet in a sport that traditionally celebrates scoring and offensive heroics, Russell was an anomaly: a dominant player for whom making shots was truly secondary. Remembering Just Fontaine and His World Cup Record, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads, Name: Bill Russell, Birth Year: 1934, Birth date: February 12, 1934, Birth State: Louisiana, Birth City: Monroe, Birth Country: United States. The basketball legacy is beyond well-known: 11 championships in 13 years with the Boston Celtics, first Black coach in the NBA, first Black coach to win an NBA title, Hall of Fame player, Hall of Fame coach, Olympic champion, NCAA champion, member of the leagues 75th anniversary team, and the namesake of the NBA Finals MVP award which, had it existed when he played, he would have won at least a half-dozen times. She says dont cry. In 2010 Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the countrys highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama. Bill Russell is survived by three children: Jacob, William Russell Jr, and Karen. When word of this got back to Bill Russell, he told his teammates something to the affect of "We're going to have to do something about that." Russell could very easily have never taken up basketball, much less gone on to become one of the sports immortals. I mean, you've won so many accolades. 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. Go back to Africa, you baboon. Russell was married three times. In 2009, the NBA changed the name of the finals MVP from NBA finals MVP award to Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. Bill Russell died at the age of 88 on July 31, 2022, in Mercer Island, Washington, United States. Bill called out injustice with an unforgiving candor that he intended would disrupt the status quo, and with a powerful example that, though never his humble intention, will forever inspire teamwork, selflessness, and thoughtful change, it reads further. 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. A the time of his death, he was married to his fourth wife Jeannine, who is believed to have been a competitive golfer. At the age of 9 he moved to Oakland. Get top headlines from the Union-Tribune in your inbox weekday mornings, including top news, local, sports, business, entertainment and opinion. In May 30, it was He was married four times and had three children. From his early childhood years, Williams Jr. was fascinated by trucks, and that is why he pursued his passion of being a driver. He defined the teams philosophy and its strategy. MARTIN: That was award-winning director Sam Pollard. Bill passed away with Jeannine by his side. And thats what you must always do. Their marriage lasted until her death in 2009. I was the only Negro athlete on either team. She is still very active and frequently appears on MSNBC and CNN, among many other media platforms. Even against more physically imposing centers, like .css-47aoac{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#A00000;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-47aoac:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Wilt Chamberlain, Russell was a defensive and rebounding force. He most likely would have led the league in blocked shots many times, but the NBA had not yet started keeping track of the statistic. 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