NBA legend Bill Russell was never known to be a highlight scorer. In 13 years with the Boston Celtics, the 6-10 lefthander shot 44 percent from the field and 56.1 percent from the line. He averaged 15.1 points in 963 regular season games. But it wasn’t his scoring that propelled Russell to stardom. He grabbed 22.5 rebounds and dished out 4.3 assists an outing. Russell was a terrifying intimidator whose ability to elevate, defy gravity and time his jumps to block shots was a hallmark of his success as a five-time MVP.
Russell couldn’t care less about individual stats. The Celtics center was proudest of the 11 NBA titles he won, including two as a playing coach without an assistant. He thought team first and foremost. The only important thing was the ultimate prize, the trophy symbolizing the best team on the planet.
Sen. Bill Bradley, the Rhodes scholar who played for the New York Knicks, said if he were to build a championship team, Russell would be his cornerstone. “Team victory is the essence of basketball,” said Bradley. “In the 1961-62 season, Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50 points per game but Bill Russell won the MVP. To achieve Russell’s level of success requires not only physical ability but also strength of mind and spirit. Only his teammates knew the level of his intensity. They saw him throw up before most games. They saw him play with injury. They heard him in the huddles. They felt his competitive fire. They witnessed him thinking through the game before he even stepped foot on the court. Tom Meschery, one of the few NBA alumni who is a poet, once wrote a poem about Russell. He entitled it ‘Eagle With a Beard.’ Many an NBA layup was missed because players feared the eagle with a beard was swooping down on them.”
A natural righthander, Russell switched to using his left because an uncle suggested it as an advantage in sports. In high school, Russell never scored more than 14 points in a game and after graduation, received only one scholarship offer from the University of San Francisco. He proved his worth by leading the varsity to 55 straight wins and back-to-back NCAA titles. Russell wasn’t the first pick in the 1956 NBA draft. Tom Heinsohn was selected by Boston as a territorial pick before the draft and Sihugo Green was the nominal first overall pick. Russell was chosen second overall by St. Louis and traded to the Celtics. The teams that bypassed Russell would never live it down.
Russell’s last game was memorable. It was Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals between Boston and the LA Lakers. Russell, as playing coach, went without relief and hauled down 21 rebounds. He had six points and six assists as the Celtics beat the Lakers, 108-106. Russell’s teammates included John Havlicek, Sam Jones, Larry Siegfried, Em Bryant and Don Nelson while the Lakers were bannered by Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. “His knees wracked by arthritis and with nothing left to prove, Russell announced his retirement later that summer at age 35,” wrote Nick Rousso in “Basketball Legends of All Time.”
There will only be one Eagle with a beard and Russell will forever be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Russell passed away at 88 in Mercer Island, Washington, last Sunday.