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Following the passing of Bill Russell, a civil rights activist and 11-time NBA champion who played for the Boston Celtics, at the age of 88, former president Barack Obama has led the tributes.
Russell won 11 championships with the Celtics between 1956 and 1969, during one of the most dominant periods in sports history, but he also faced a lot of prejudice and hatred while he was a member of the Boston Celtics.
Russell, however, spent his entire life promoting equality while in his position. Notably, he was present at the 1963 March on Washington when Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. He also supported Muhammad Ali when the boxer came under fire for opposing being drafted into the military.
The highest civilian distinction in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, was given to Russell by Obama in 2011.
After learning of his passing, Obama tweeted: “Today, we lost a giant.” Even though Bill Russell was as tall as they come, his legacy as a person and a player goes far further.
In addition, Russell led the United States to Olympic gold in Melbourne in 1956 and two NCAA championships in San Francisco in 1955 and 1956. These victories prepared the way for Russell to become a five-time NBA MVP and a 12-time All-Star.
Russell spent 13 seasons (1956–1969) with the Celtics, scoring 15.1 points and pulling down 22.5 rebounds per game. He was originally enshrined as a player in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 and then as a coach in 2021. The Celtics retired his No. 6 uniform.
“It is with a very heavy heart that we would want to pass this along to all of Bill’s friends, admirers, and followers,” his family wrote in a statement released on Sunday. The most successful athlete in American sports history, Bill Russell, died peacefully today at the age of 88, with his wife Jeannine by his side. The details of his memorial service will be released soon.
Activism, Basketball and Records make up the man Bill Russell
Bill Russell is regarded as one of the greatest champions in US sporting history, in addition to his work for civil rights and as the greatest defensive player in NBA history.
In a city and a nation where race is frequently a contentious issue, the Louisiana native also made a lasting impression as a black athlete.
In 2011, Obama also gave the Medal of Freedom to baseball legend Stan Musial, Congressman John Lewis, billionaire businessman Warren Buffett, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Russell claimed that while he was growing up in the segregated South and subsequently in California, his parents gave him the composure and confidence to shrug off racist slurs.
In his 13 seasons as a center, Russell, who stands 6 feet 10 inches tall, never scored more than 18.9 points on average, averaging more rebounds per game. For ten seasons, he averaged over 20 rebounds each game. The record is 55, held by his buddy and adversary Wilt Chamberlain, and he once had 51 rebounds in a game.
After Auberach retired in 1966 following their championship, Russell took over as the Celtics’ player-coach.
Nearly ten years before Frank Robinson took over the Cleveland Indians in baseball, he was the first black head coach in NBA history.
Despite having the greatest regular-season record in the NBA, Boston’s championship run came to an end in the Eastern Division playoffs when they were defeated by Chamberlain and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Russell guided the Celtics to championships in 1968 and 1969, each time defeating Chamberlain in a seven-game playoff series. After the 1969 NBA Finals, Russell announced his retirement. He came back to work with the Seattle SuperSonics for four years as their coach and general manager, and then for a less successful half-season with the Sacramento Kings.
In Boston’s City Hall Plaza, a statue of Russell was unveiled in 2013 and is flanked by granite blocks inscribed with sayings about character and leadership.
Despite being the first African American to be elected, Russell was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 but chose not to attend the event. (Chuck Cooper, the first black player in the NBA, was his selection.)
In a private ceremony in 2019, Russell accepted his Hall of Fame ring. I felt others should have received the accolade before me, ‘he tweeted. “Good to see advancement.”
Moreover, he had a wicked sense of humor. Five other iconic centers, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson, and Dikembe Mutombo, joined him on stage to win the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 NBA Awards.
Opinions expressed by California Gazette contributors are their own.
