With all of the "has LeBron caught Jordan for GOAT" stuff. It has prompted me to look back at the career of the man who despite having the finals MVP named for him, is still somehow chronically under appreciated.
The statistical case may not be there for Bill Russell--his best season win shares wise was 52nd all time, and his career is good for 19th (NBA/ABA)-- and I'm not a look at the rings guy, But when one achieves on the but when one wins with consistency Russell did, as the best player on the team, in both college and pros, you have to start thinking about it.
He won the NBA championship in 11 of his 13 years, and in one of the two he lost he missed much of the finals with a foot injury. The other one he lost in the semis. He also won two college championships in three years of playing (including a 55 game win streak). So over the course of 16 years in college and pros he won 13 championships.
Different times, of course, and I don't imagine anyone could dominate like that now, but given that he won the championship in 2/3 of the college years he played and 84% of NBA years, I think he has a legitimate case. Lebron has to appear in 3 more finals just to equal the number Russell won. If Jordan had not taken two years off and won eight in a row, he would still be three short of Russell. and all of this is without mentioning that all but his first years overlapped with Chamberlain--another all time great at the same position.
As I said, I'm not a look at the rings guy, but that is absolutely otherworldly, and the fact that he did it in college and the pros has to make you wonder if the "his team was just better" is that strong an argument.
The statistical case may not be there for Bill Russell--his best season win shares wise was 52nd all time, and his career is good for 19th (NBA/ABA)-- and I'm not a look at the rings guy, But when one achieves on the but when one wins with consistency Russell did, as the best player on the team, in both college and pros, you have to start thinking about it.
He won the NBA championship in 11 of his 13 years, and in one of the two he lost he missed much of the finals with a foot injury. The other one he lost in the semis. He also won two college championships in three years of playing (including a 55 game win streak). So over the course of 16 years in college and pros he won 13 championships.
Different times, of course, and I don't imagine anyone could dominate like that now, but given that he won the championship in 2/3 of the college years he played and 84% of NBA years, I think he has a legitimate case. Lebron has to appear in 3 more finals just to equal the number Russell won. If Jordan had not taken two years off and won eight in a row, he would still be three short of Russell. and all of this is without mentioning that all but his first years overlapped with Chamberlain--another all time great at the same position.
As I said, I'm not a look at the rings guy, but that is absolutely otherworldly, and the fact that he did it in college and the pros has to make you wonder if the "his team was just better" is that strong an argument.