And that's the kind of guy [Brown] was. [The sound of Russell throwing up] is a welcome sound, too, because it means he's keyed up for the game, and around the locker room we grin and say, 'Man, we're going to be all right tonight. "[179], Russell was married to his college sweetheart Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973. There were times I wondered, but not Rose, Bill penned for Boston Traveler in 1956. [38] He became known for his strong defense and shot-blocking skills, once denying 13 shots in a game. [145] He also won two state championships in high school. "[214], In 1966, Russell was promoted to head coach of the Celtics. [45][46] He also competed in the 440 yards (402.3m) race, which he could complete in 49.6 seconds. Karen is the founder of Next Gen: #Blacklivesmatter and is a . Together, Russell and Swisher had three children: daughter Karen, and sons William Jr. and . 1934-American basketball player. Although the middle child of Bill Sr. and Rose Swisher (born on July 6, 1959), Jacob is arguably the simplest member of the prominent Russell family in almost every sense of the term. The NCAA had previously prohibited goaltending in response to George Mikan (1945) and later banned the dunk shot due to Lew Alcindor (1967), although the latter rule was later repealed. [205] At the time his additional role of coach was announced, Russell publicly stated he believed Red Auerbach's impact as a coach confined every or almost every relationship with each Celtic player to a strictly professional one. Rose and Bill started dating in their college days. Like almost all Southern towns and cities of that time, Monroe was very segregated and the Russells often struggled with racism in their daily lives. The former practicing attorney is hence the epitome of an empowered woman through and through. [131] On June 18, 2007, Russell was inducted as a member of the founding class of the FIBA Hall of Fame. Russell used a copy as extra motivation and told his team to play a running game because in that case it was not the better but the more determined team that was going to win. [49] Bill Simmons has estimated that Russell had between 8 and 15 blocks per game in the playoffs. And what we would do is[Auerbach] trusted all his playersso like when he'd make a coaching decision, he could talk: he talked to [Bob] Cousey [who is white], he talked to me [black], he talked to [Bill] Sharman [white], he talked to Sam [Jones] [black]all of us: 'What do you think?' In the year 1977, Bill got the divorce from his wife and married, Miss USA named, Dorothy Anstett. [158][159] In 2007, he was voted the third best center of all-time by ESPN behind Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain. Her birthday is January 20, 1962. William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. Bill Russell, whose No. [21] In delivering a eulogy for Chamberlain, Russell stated that he did not consider them to be rivals, but rather to have a competition, and that the pair would "be friends through eternity". Bill Russell, one of the most important and accomplished athletes in history, died on Sunday at the age of 88 with his wife Jeannine by his side, his family announced. @celtics . Karen has a B.A. Nault became a stepmother to three of Bill's children: Karen Russell, William Russel Jr., and Jacob Russell. [14][191] The news was announced in a Twitter post by his family. Brown, who gave him a high $24,000 rookie contract, just $1,000 shy of the top-earning veteran Bob Cousy.[121]. 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. [93], In the 1965 NBA playoffs, the Celtics played the Eastern Division Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that had traded for Chamberlain. [56] He also became famous for his shot-blocking skills and pundits called his blocks "Wilsonburgers", referring to the Wilson NBA basketballs he "shoved back into the faces of opposing shooters". One of the greatest players in NBA history, Bill Russell, is currently in his 4th marriage. (2004). They were happily wed until 1973. BOSTON Celtics legend, Bill Russell, had three children with his first wife, Rose. 85.235.64.191 She was born on January 20, 1962. [211], Chamberlain outscored Russell 30 to 14.2 and outrebounded him 28.2 to 22.9 in the regular season, and he also outscored him 25.7 to 14.9 and outrebounded him 28 to 24.7 in the playoffs. July 31, 2022. Date Divorced. Bill Russell only had children with his first wife Rose; they are Karen, Jacob, and William Russell Jr. Karen Russell. And in basketball I respect a man for his ability, period. [110] Although White became a standout Celtics player, Boston lacked an All-Star center, went 3448 in the 196970 NBA season, and failed to make it to the 1970 NBA playoffs, marking the first time since 1950 that they did not make the playoffs. [21], Under head coach Gerald Tucker, Russell helped the U.S. national basketball team win the gold medal in Melbourne, defeating the Soviet Union national basketball team 8955 in the final game with an 80 undefeated run. [1] The Celtics broke a league record by winning 52 games and Russell's strong performance once again helped lead the Celtics through the 1959 NBA playoffs, as they returned to the NBA Finals. He stood side-by-side with Dr. Martin Luther King in the 1960s, the height of the civil rights movement. [187], In 1959, Russell became the first NBA player to visit Africa. [4] Decades later, Russell explained that his experiences hardened him against abuse of all kinds,[35] saying: "I never permitted myself to be a victim. The two men did not speak to each other for more than twenty years until Russell met with Chamberlain and personally apologized. Russell described himself as an avid reader of Dell Magazines' 1950s sports publications, which he used to scout opponents' moves for the purpose of defending against them. He said: "The Celtics were the first [NBA basketball] team to draft a black player, period: a guy named Chuck Cooper from Duquesne. His marital status is married. "[36], Racism shaped his lifelong paradigm as a team player, about which Russell said: "At that time it was never acceptable that a black player was the best. Karen Russell, Jacob Russell, William Russell Jr. Rose Swisher got married to her husband, Bill Russell on 9 December 1956. her husband Basketball player Bill Russell was his college sweetheart, she got divorced from him in 1973. [65] Many observers thought that Boston could have won had Russell not been injured, but Auerbach commented: "You can always look for excuses We just got beat. [49] After the game, Russell went over to the distraught West, who had scored 42 points and was named the only NBA Finals MVP in history from the losing team, clasped his hand and tried to soothe him. [5] In addition, Russell holds the NBA Finals single-game record for most rebounds (40, March 29, 1960, vs. St. Louis, and April 18, 1962, vs. Los Angeles), most rebounds in a quarter (19, April 18, 1962, vs. Los Angeles), and most consecutive games with 20 or more rebounds (15 from April 9, 1960 April 16, 1963). . Bill Russell and his two sons( Source : gq) The eldest of them all, Jacob Russell was born in 1959, making him only nine years younger than his stepmother, who is currently married and lives in Washington. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. [157] Russell ranked No. He is said to have made a conscious decision to put the team first and foremost, and not worry about individual achievements. Over the course of his life, Rusell played 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, during which time he took home 11 championships titles with the team. [19] In another incident, Russell's mother was walking outside in a fancy dress when a white policeman accosted her. From his early childhood years, Williams Jr. was fascinated by trucks, and that is why he pursued his passion of being a driver. In 1966, Bill Russell agreed to be the head coach of the Boston Celtics. Yet for now, if you simply wish to learn more about the individuals carrying on his legacy in their last name his children William Bill Jr., Jacob, and Karen Russell weve got you covered. She graduated from Harvard Law School and Georgetown University and . [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. [101] Russell acknowledged the first real loss of his career, as he had been injured when the Celtics lost the 1958 NBA Finals, by visiting Chamberlain in the locker room, shaking his hand, and saying: "Great. If that isn't goaltending, I want somebody to tell me what it is. In 1977, four years after his divorce from Rose Swisher, Russell married Dorothy Anstett, who was Miss USA 1968. In the last play, Sam Jones used a triple screen by Bailey Howell, Larry Siegfried, and Havlicek to hit a buzzer beater that equalized the series. Although nearly 16 years younger than Bill Russell, Kansas native Marilyn Nault tied the knot with the basketball legend on . [110] Russell notified Auerbach that he was resigning to join a career in television and movies "in order to find new sources of income for the future". MENTOR co-founder, board member, and close friend of Bill Russell, Geoffrey Boisi, made the following statement: She has done a lot of activist work, and her articles can be found in the New York Times Magazine, HuffPost, and many other publications. Prior to Game 5, no NBA team had ever come back from a 31 deficit. [116], After retiring as a player, Russell had stints as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics (19731977) and Sacramento Kings (19871988). [76], In the 196162 NBA season, Russell scored a career-high 18.9 points per game, accompanied by 23.6 rebounds per game. Jacob H. Russell was born on July 6, 1959. Over 50 percent of responses said 'There's too many black players. Both of them had three children together. UCLA Bruins coach John Wooden called Russell "the greatest defensive man I've ever seen". National tragedy struck on April 4, day of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. With eight of the ten starting players on Sixers and Celtics being black, both teams were in deep shock and there were calls to cancel the series. [14] In 2011, Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments on the court and in the civil rights movement. He actually enrolled at the School of Art Institute in Chicago for a Bachelor's in Design-Visual Communications upon graduating from California's Galileo . NBA legend and Hall of Famer Bill Russell died Sunday at the age of 88. Born to William Bill Russell and his college sweetheart Rose Swisher a year into their marriage (December 9, 1956) on November 2, 1957, William Bill Felton Russell Jr. was their firstborn. [15], 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. [5] Chamberlain said Russell's timing as a shot-blocker was unparalleled. He has all three children with his first wife, Rose Swisher. In its announcement, the WCC stated: "The 'Russell Rule' requires each member institution to include a member of a traditionally underrepresented community in the pool of final candidates for every athletic director, senior administrator, head coach and full-time assistant coach position in the athletic department. 18 on ESPN's "50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century" list in 1999. [48] He was active in the Black Power movement and was among the African-American athletes and the one political leader who came together at the 1967 Cleveland Summit to support Muhammad Ali and his decision to refuse to be drafted. Bill Russell has been married on 4 different occasions but had never kept a marriage for up to 2 decades, the longest being 17 years (1956-1973) to a lady called Rose. [167] On June 15, 2017, Russell was announced as the inaugural recipient of the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award. [41] While blocked shots were not a recorded basketball statistic during Russell's career, he averaged 8.1 blocks in 135 games, as Boston writers often attempted to tally his blocks. He led the San Francisco Dons to two consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956,[4] and he captained the gold-medal winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics. In addition, Auerbach had already used his NBA territorial pick to acquire talented forward Tom Heinsohn. He has three children, Jacob Russell, William Russell Jr., and Karen Russell . According to Taylor, he often perceived insults even if others did not. Rules on Defense, Coach of Warriors Says", "The 'Coleman Play' introduced and defined Bill Russell's never-say-die leadership to Boston", "12 times NBA awards were pretty ridiculous", "Syracuse Nationals at Boston Celtics Box Score, February 5, 1960", "Boston Celtics at Philadelphia Warriors Box Score, November 24, 1960", "1960 NBA Finals Game 2: St. Louis Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, March 29, 1960", "1960 NBA Finals Game 7: St. Louis Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, April 9, 1960", "Celtics Give Sharman Championship Sendoff", "Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 16, 1962", "Boston Celtics Players to have recorded a triple-double", "1962 NBA Finals Game 7: Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics Box Score, April 18, 1962", "Cincinnati Royals vs Boston Celtics Box Score, January 31, 1963", "Kennedy Greets Celtics, but Bill Russell Sleeps", "New York Knicks at Boston Celtics Box Score, February 10, 1963", "1963 NBA Finals Game 3: Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 17, 1963", "On this day: Pandemic pause anniversary; Russell's 49 boards; Potapenko trade", "Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics Box Score, March 11, 1965", "1968 Sportsman of the Year: Bill Russell, Boston Celtics coach-player", "Bill Russell Reported Favoring Movie Career", "Celtics legend Bill Russell receives second induction into Basketball Hall of Fame, as coach this time", "Successful, short-lived coaching days get Bill Russell into Hall again", "Bill Russell, NBA great and former Sonics coach, dies at 88", "Bill Russell Leaves Lasting Impact on Kings", "Watch Saturday Night Live Episode: November 3 Bill Russell", "Culture Now Is a Great Time to Read Bill Russell's Memoir", "Best Betting Scenes: Bill Russell Goes Rogue on 'Miami Vice', "Russell Redux: A Private Man Bursts Back Into the Public Eye", "Shaq heeds Russell's call for peace; Lakers hold on for win", "Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame to induct founding class", "Sports legend Bill Russell receives an honorary degree at the 2007 Suffolk University commencement", "Honorary degrees awarded at Commencement's Morning Exercises", "Dartmouth grads hear 'nose dive' warning", "Naismith and FIBA Hall of Fame: Full list of inductees enshrined at Springfield and Madrid", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement Sports", "The Finals MVP to Receive Bill Russell MVP Award", "All-Star Top 10, from Shaq's moves to boos for Spurs", "Kobe shows maturity of last seven years in leading Lakers to title", "Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients (Photos)", "Inside the Iconic Obama Basketball Games at the White House", "25 players that won a NCAA and NBA championship", "Jordan, Jabbar, Russell and Magic won NCAA and NBA titles, but it's become a rare feat", "Quick quiz: Only four players have been", "How Bill Russell's coaching career opened doors for NBA's Black head coaches", "Bill Russell: How historic success as the league's first Black coach paved the way for others", "NBA Legend Bill Russell Became First Black Coach In Pro Sports 46 Years Ago Today", "Biggest moments for NBA's 15 Greatest Coaches", "Top 10 NBA Players With The Most Finals And Regular Season MVPs Combined", "Ranking Every NBA All-Defensive First Team in History from Worst to First", "NBA 75: Bill Russell, 1960s Athlete of the Decade (TSN Archives)", "ESPN's 'SportsCentury' Goes Back-Back-Back", "Top N. American athletes of the century", "Daily Dime: Special Edition The game's greatest giants ever", "Ranking the top 74 NBA players of all time: Nos. She graduated as an English Major from the University of Washington. Russell's 51 rebounds in a single game is the second-highest performance ever, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's all-time record of 55. His 1956 rookie contract was worth $24,000 (equivalent to $239,207 in 2021), only fractionally smaller than the $25,000 of top earner and teammate Bob Cousy. [5], Despite his limitations on offense, as Russell averaged 15.1 points per game, his rebounding, defense, and leadership made him one of the dominant players of his era. [105] He was 15 pounds overweight, skipped mandatory NBA coach meetings, and was generally lacking energy; after a New York Knicks game, he complained of intense pain and was diagnosed with acute exhaustion. [107] It was so surprising that Auerbach was blindsided and made the mistake of drafting guard Jo Jo White instead of a center. The relationship between the two was tenuous at best. Unfortunately, everything changed in late 2015 as Bill was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer that had already spread to his liver, especially as it was too advanced to even consider surgery. The pair married in 1956 but divorced 17 years later. [19] Russell's father was once refused service at a gas station until the staff had taken care of all the white customers first. He shared all three kids with his first wife Rose Swisher. "[207] To teammates and friends, Russell was open and amicable; he was extremely distrusting and cold towards anyone else. [143] By winning the 1956 NCAA championship with USF and the 1957 NBA title with the Celtics,[144] Russell became the first of only four players in basketball history to win an NCAA championship and an NBA championship back-to-back, the others being Henry Bibby, Magic Johnson, and Billy Thompson. She never stopped talking to me. [47], The Harlem Globetrotters invited Russell to join their exhibition basketball squad. He is survived by his younger brother Jacob, his baby sister Karen, the love of his life Sherrill Hansen, his son Sean Tyler Russell, and two pet dogs/fur babies, Pugsley as well as Lilly. This attitude contributed to his bad rapport with fans and journalists. Getty Images/Getty Images. The Bill Russell Legacy Foundation, established by the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, funded the project. The already hostile atmosphere between Russell and Boston hit its apex when vandals broke into his house in Reading, Massachusetts, covered the walls with racist graffiti, damaged his trophies, and defecated in the beds. Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in the history of American sports, died Sunday. [161] In 2020, he was ranked No. [221] On November 15, 2019, Russell accepted the Hall of Fame ring in a private ceremony with family. Bill Russell got married to his girlfriend, Rose Swisher in the year 1956. Bill Russell had three kids, Karen, William Jr., and Jacob. If you were too sheltered, you might not be motivated to help others who do not have your advantages.'. [114] He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. In Game 2, Philadelphia evened the series with a 115106 win and then went on to win Games 3 and 4. He was one of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball and left behind an amazing legacy. "[5] The Sixers outpaced the Celtics when they shredded the famed Boston defense by scoring 140 points in the clinching Game 5 win.