They were happily wed until 1973. Bill Russell, Boston Celtics legend, dies at 88 July 31, 2022 / 12:48 PM / AP BOSTON (AP) Bill Russell, the NBA great who anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13. [154] In 1970, The Sporting News named Russell the "Athlete of the Decade". The Celtics won Game 4 in an upset, but the Hawks prevailed in Games 5 and 6, with Pettit scoring 50 points in the deciding Game 6. Bill Russell's family wrote on social media Sunday morning announcing the NBA legend . William Lane Russell (Bill), age 78 of Tunnel Hill, Georgia died unexpectedly on November 24, 2020. That's the first thing Walter Brown said to Chuck Cooper. He passed away peacefully with . Her later father, Bill . In Game 2, Philadelphia evened the series with a 115106 win and then went on to win Games 3 and 4. When he became player-coach in 1966, Russell bluntly said to his teammates that "he intended to cut all personal ties to other players" and seamlessly made the transition from their peer to their superior. [109] According to Taylor, Russell discounted the fact that his career was facilitated by white people who were proven anti-racists: his high school coach George Powles, who encouraged him to play basketball, his college coach Phil Woolpert, who integrated USF basketball, Celtics coach Red Auerbach, who made him the first black NBA coach and is regarded as an anti-racist pioneer for his no color barrier, and Celtics owner Walter A. 101", "The NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, ranked: Where 76 basketball legends check in on our list", "NBA 75: Top 75 NBA players of all time, from MJ and LeBron to Lenny Wilkens", "President Obama Names Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients", "Bill Russell to receive NBA's inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award", "Bill Russell's No. The children and grandchildren of the Boston Celtics legend were able to say their goodbyes on Saturday, a source told Andscape. The Hall of Famer was 88. [120] Perennially wary of what he long perceived as a racist city, Russell decided to make amends and gave his approval. 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. [52], Due to his Olympic commitment, Russell could not join the Celtics for the 195657 NBA season until December. He had invested $250,000 in a rubber plantation in Liberia, where he had wanted to spend his retirement, but it went bankrupt. When I sent you to Harvard, I expected you to be able to do the same. Bill Russell, who earned 11 NBA championship rings during his career, died on Sunday with his wife Jeannine by his side . Dorothy Anstett Born: Kirkland, Washington, United States Date of birth: 1947-06-28 Spouse: Bill Russell https://t.co/T9E7sVcZUO pic.twitter.com/se6ka2URg3. He was one of five, along with James Naismith, Oscar Robertson, Dean Smith, and John Wooden, selected to represent the inaugural class. [107] West then hit one basket after the other and cut the lead to one, and Chamberlain asked to return to the game. The Boston Celtics legend, who won 11 NBA championships as a player, including two as a player-coach, on his way to the Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 88, his family announced Sunday. [127] On May 20, 2007, Russell was awarded an honorary doctorate by Suffolk University, where he served as its commencement speaker. [5] The Russell draft-day trade was later called one of the most important trades in the history of North American sports. Birth Place: [98] On April 16, 1966, Russell agreed to become head coach of the Celtics, and a public announcement was made two days later. He was 88. Lakers coach Bill van Breda Kolff kept him on the bench until the end of the game, saying later that he wanted to stay with the lineup responsible for the comeback. "[206] Years after Taylor's book, Russell published the autobiographical account Red and Me, which chronicled his lifelong friendship with Auerbach. [13], 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. [100] During the series, Russell said: "Right now, he (Wilt) is playing like me [to win]. Auerbach replied that Gottlieb's statements were "absolutely ridiculous" and said any controversy was "a question of sour grapes". He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed more than 50 rebounds in a game. The family of William 'Mr. Bill' Russell Jones is sad to announce his passing. [149] He also had 51 in one game, 49 in two others, and twelve straight seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. [56] Russell never had to work part-time. [39][40] During his college career, Russell was the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1955, averaging 20.7 points per game and 20.3 rebounds per game. Bill Cosby's daughter Ensa was buried at the comedian's family compound outside Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts on Wednesday. Because Russell ignored virtually any well-wisher who approached him home or away, including the vast majority of media, his autograph was among the most difficult to secure of any professional athlete of his time. [98] His second choice was Cousy, who declined the invitation, stating that he did not want to coach his former teammates. At one point, the article reads, The girl [Dorothy] listed as one of lifes ambitions the chance to teach high school for mentally retarded children. Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you for keeping Bill in . [99] Russell became the first black head coach in NBA history,[5] and he commented to journalists: "I wasn't offered the job because I am a Negro, I was offered it because Red figured I could do it. [5] He was also known as a fine passer and pick-and-roll setter, featured a decent left-handed hook shot, and finished strong on alley oops. Russell's daughter, Karen, is a legal and political analyst, as well as a blogger. Well, Karen Kenyatta had four important members in her family. Bill Russell, one of the greatest basketball players of all time who led the charge on and off the court, has died, his family announced Sunday. Please logout and login again. She used to admire her father, a national basketball player. [6][7][8][9] Standing at 6ft 10in (2.08m) tall, with a 7ft 4in (2.24m) arm span,[10][11] his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' dominance during his career. Both Cousy and Russell called it the greatest Celtics team of all-time. His daughter is Karen Russell, who is a television pundit and lawyer, and his sons are William Jr. and Jacob. Born in Dallas on November 8, 1935, William Russell "Bill" Goff was a lifelong Texan. [50], The St. Louis Hawks, who owned the second pick, drafted Russell but were vying for Celtics center Ed Macauley, a six-time NBA All-Star who had roots in St. Louis. [182] Russell was married to Jeannine Russell at the time of his death. Russell's Celtics went 5737 in the regular season against Chamberlain's teams and 2920 in the playoffs, Chamberlain's losing seven of the eight series. No cause of death was immediately available; Russell, who had been living in the Seattle area, was not well enough to present the NBA Finals MVP trophy in June due to a long illness. Bill answered, I played for the Celtics, period I did not play for Boston. [52] The U.S. dominated the tournament, winning by an average of 53.5 points per game. Later, hoping to better the family's . Tonights event will be hosted by Tracy Morgan, and will air live on ABC from 7-10pm ET from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. I wanted you to have the best possible education and to be able to make the best contacts. In addition to his career accomplishments, Russell was a prominent human rights activist in sports. "[178], Russell was married to his college sweetheart Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973. Bill Russell is a 74 years old American baseball player and coach from Monroe, Louisiana. He was convinced that the U.S. was a corrupt nation and that he was wasting his time playing something as superficial as basketball. The champion marched with Martin Luther King for civil rights. [70] Boston won a then-record 59 regular-season games, including a then-record tying 17-game win streak. He later recalled: "To play good defense it was told back then that you had to stay flatfooted at all times to react quickly. [53] His former USF and future Celtics teammate K. C. Jones joined him on the Olympic squad and contributed 10.9 points per game,[54] including a RussellJones combined 29 points in the finals. Prior to Game 5, no NBA team had ever come back from a 31 deficit. At the age of 9 he moved to Oakland. Powered by. [56] Russell had a more cordial relationship with many of his teammates with the notable exception of Heinsohn, his old rival and fellow rookie. In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that Russell was "the greatest champion in all of team sports". A 1987 essay by Bill Russell's daughter detailed racism the family faced in Mass. She already does volunteer work as a tutor for underprivileged children in her hometown.. is LYING to you. [38] He became known for his strong defense and shot-blocking skills, once denying 13 shots in a game. "[49], In the 195960 NBA season, the NBA witnessed the debut of 7ft 1in (2.16m) Philadelphia Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged a record 37.6 points per game in his rookie year. Bill was born in Milltown, Tennessee on April 14, 1942. These statues were modeled by a local boy from Somerville and multiple girls from the surrounding area. Russell's family said in a. [17] 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 the honor. Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion as a player and coach with the Boston Celtics and one of the most important figures in NBA history, has died at the age of 88, his family announced. [49] After the Celtics' 10889 victory, Schayes, who made Johnny Kerr come off the bench because he struggled against Russell in the regular season, quipped: "How much does that guy make a year? Hailed as the greatest team player on the greatest team of all time, Bill Russell led the Boston Celtics in the longest championship streak in U.S. sports history. 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