Happy 87th Bill!

Kliq

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A treasure is right. Each year that goes by, his dominance, perseverance and grace resonates more and more.
 

reggiecleveland

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There is Bill Russell and there is everyone else.

Incredible how the media acts like Jordan and 6 is the gold standard. I am so sick o basketball articles that say "since 1970" since if the don't do that Bill (or Wilt) is at the top. too much he is treated like he is Ty Cobb from some bygone old timey time. The year after he left, after winning two in a row, KAreem entered the league. No NBA team repeated, until Bird hurt his back and the Lakers in 87-88. There are guys who played against Magic that played against Bill.

If you put 1969 Bill on this year's Celt they probably win it all. But 1960-65 Bill they win for sure. Want to switch everything, Brad? Okay, but now your center is better on the ball defender than everyone but Smart. He's like KG, but way springier. How about a better athlete than Timeloard, twice as tough as Smart, better rebounder than Thompson, and best passer on the team? How about you put a guy on KD that is longer, quicker, jumps way better than he does? A guy that would exist on the planet for one reason, to stop him and beat him. Let's watch Embid drag his heavy butt back on D as Bill sprints past him for dunk, after ,dunk, after dunk. Then Embid, doe eyed, realizes his ankle hurts, and slinks off to the bench. Bill battled Wilt to standstill, and at times busted him up. He can handle today's bigs.

I wouldn't put it past him to become a passable shooter. I can't imagine something that could help him win, and him not being able to do it.
 

bigq

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There is Bill Russell and there is everyone else.

Incredible how the media acts like Jordan and 6 is the gold standard. I am so sick o basketball articles that say "since 1970" since if the don't do that Bill (or Wilt) is at the top. too much he is treated like he is Ty Cobb from some bygone old timey time. The year after he left, after winning two in a row, KAreem entered the league. No NBA team repeated, until Bird hurt his back and the Lakers in 87-88. There are guys who played against Magic that played against Bill.

If you put 1969 Bill on this year's Celt they probably win it all. But 1960-65 Bill they win for sure. Want to switch everything, Brad? Okay, but now your center is better on the ball defender than everyone but Smart. He's like KG, but way springier. How about a better athlete than Timeloard, twice as tough as Smart, better rebounder than Thompson, and best passer on the team? How about you put a guy on KD that is longer, quicker, jumps way better than he does? A guy that would exist on the planet for one reason, to stop him and beat him. Let's watch Embid drag his heavy butt back on D as Bill sprints past him for dunk, after ,dunk, after dunk. Then Embid, doe eyed, realizes his ankle hurts, and slinks off to the bench. Bill battled Wilt to standstill, and at times busted him up. He can handle today's bigs.

I wouldn't put it past him to become a passable shooter. I can't imagine something that could help him win, and him not being able to do it.
Great post! I love the mental image of Bill Russell playing in today’s NBA. He would be the 5 that brings today’s team to multiple championships. He retired well before I was watching Celtics basketball but his legendary status with the organization continued to be a story line that was frequently revisited by the Celtics star players of the 80s when I started following the team all the way through to today. Happy birthday to a Boston Celtics icon.
 

Doug Beerabelli

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Awesome. My dad grew up in Boston, the Celtics his favorite team of them all. I think my dad's favorite player was Cousy b/c he also was a point guard in high school at Eastie, but in my 1980s formative years, it was drilled into my head Bill Russell was the best hoops player of all time, even as we watched Bird, Magic and Kareem, and a nascent Jordan rise.

I think it's hard to compare Russell to Jordan or LeBron because of different roles and eras, but those are the Holy Trinity in my book. He's a national treasure in a way that Jordan never will be, and we'll see what happens with LeBron.
 

reggiecleveland

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I'd much rather play with Russell too...as far as I know he wasn't an overbearing prick who might punch you.
2nd/3rd hand story, so maybe apocryphal. Bill ended up at an AAU game in the 90s early 2000s. Sat in the front row. A kid did not run back on D. Bill was supposed to give a speech after the game at a banquet. Bill sent somebody over to the bench of the kid's team and told the coach, 'Mr Russell wants you to know if your players do not run back on defence again, you can explain to everyone at the banquet why he went home.'
 
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Lose Remerswaal

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20 years ago or so I was visiting a friend at the MGH after her surgery and I noticed a sign while I was on my way to her room mentioned that Bill was speaking at an event at the hospital an hour later. We got permission from the nurse to put my friend in a wheelchair and take a pole for her infusion drip to the event. Surprisingly they hadn't prepared any handicapped seating, but they cleared space up front for us and when Bill was done speaking he came over and talked with us for a minute, unbidden. Greatly cheered up my friend and is a fond memory for both of us.
 

SoxJox

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I grew up and spent my formative years in southwestern Virginia. No pro sport team in sight, save for the Washington and Baltimore pro sports franchises a number of hours drive away.

For some reason, I gravitated to Boston for baseball and basketball. Russell and Havlicek were magnetic beacons of light that drew me in as a 10-yo in 1965 or so.

My appreciation and love of Bill Russell has aged like a fine wine, a 9.8-rated cigar, and 2 inches of Johnny Walker Blue Label.
 

terrynever

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David Feherty interviewed Russ last year. Bill told about how Celts were in Philly for a game during Thanksgiving Week. Wilt called and invited Russ to his family’s holiday dinner. When it was over, Wilt’s mother asked Bill if he wanted to take a nap, because Wilt had told her Bill liked his naps. So Bill slept on Wilt’s bed. And then they played the next day.

It’s hard to explain the old days to young fans. Wilt vs. Russell remains the most dynamic rivalry I have ever witnessed, and we knew what we were seeing in the 1960s, even as it happened. Throw in Bill’s commitment to civil rights, his pride and his dignity, his intelligence, and you have an athlete who stands alone. He pretty much invented what a quick-twitch athlete really is. And he got in everyone’s heads, too.

I can still see Russ and Wilt squaring for a tip-off at noon on Sundays.
 

reggiecleveland

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Amazing.

I remember hearing that when he entered the NBA he was easily the fastest player in the league.

He might have been the one that said it actually.
It was probably Red. When Ewing was drafted Red laughed at the idea that Ewing was the fasted big man noting Wilt was faster but that Russell "was fastest in the league at any position". Until recently Bill really never engaged is his own legacy as an individual. For years Wilt spread his tales, 20,000 women, 600lb bench press, and Bill in contrast talked of team, winning etc. After Wilt died he often defended Wilt's physical dominance, and since his famous "I'd kick your ass" moment has stuck up for himself a bit.
 

monty10

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I would be the ultimate Lurker. So this can be disregarded. In regards to Bill Russell's athletic ability. When he played and won Gold in the Olympics. He may have made the Olympic team in track and field? He was rated in college as one of the top High Jumpers in the country. I just looked it up to confirm. In 1956 he was the 7th rated High Jumper in the World. Simply an amazing athlete. Add that to the compete level. In all aspects of his life.
 

jacklamabe65

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On December 28, 1967, Dad and I were at the Garden where we watched Player-Coach Bill Russell’s Celtics battle the then-expansion team, the Milwaukee Bucks. The C’s, who would secure their 11th championship in 13 years later that spring, won the contest, 136-109. At halftime, I went down under the stands to get a Coke and a slice of pizza. As I skirted back to our seats, I felt a shadow looming above me. I quickly turned around; it was Bill Russell lumbering out of the Boston locker room. “Sorry, Mr. Russell!” I exclaimed and got out of his way. “No problem, Kid,” he said as he moved past me. At that moment, I felt as if I had been in the presence of God.
 

bosockboy

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On December 28, 1967, Dad and I were at the Garden where we watched Player-Coach Bill Russell’s Celtics battle the then-expansion team, the Milwaukee Bucks. The C’s, who would secure their 11th championship in 13 years later that spring, won the contest, 136-109. At halftime, I went down under the stands to get a Coke and a slice of pizza. As I skirted back to our seats, I felt a shadow looming above me. I quickly turned around; it was Bill Russell lumbering out of the Boston locker room. “Sorry, Mr. Russell!” I exclaimed and got out of his way. “No problem, Kid,” he said as he moved past me. At that moment, I felt as if I had been in the presence of God.
Small quibble, 1968 was #10. But great story.
 

reggiecleveland

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I ust want to remind you when you enter into social media that the many dumb young, and just plain Laker fans will say

1. The first team and coach to start 5 black guys is racist because Bird, Mchale,Ainge, Walton are white.
2. Bill Russell was involved in civil rights before Ali.
3. Laker fans want to call the Cs racist, discount Russell, beating "plumbers" but count the 5 pre color barrier Minneapolis titles.

Don't let this shit slide.
 

Saints Rest

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On December 28, 1967, Dad and I were at the Garden where we watched Player-Coach Bill Russell’s Celtics battle the then-expansion team, the Milwaukee Bucks. The C’s, who would secure their 11th championship in 13 years later that spring, won the contest, 136-109. At halftime, I went down under the stands to get a Coke and a slice of pizza. As I skirted back to our seats, I felt a shadow looming above me. I quickly turned around; it was Bill Russell lumbering out of the Boston locker room. “Sorry, Mr. Russell!” I exclaimed and got out of his way. “No problem, Kid,” he said as he moved past me. At that moment, I felt as if I had been in the presence of God.
I am greatly pleased to discover I have something in common with one of the great Americans of our time.
You got in the way of "Mr. Russell" too?
 

slamminsammya

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I ust want to remind you when you enter into social media that the many dumb young, and just plain Laker fans will say

1. The first team and coach to start 5 black guys is racist because Bird, Mchale,Ainge, Walton are white.
2. Bill Russell was involved in civil rights before Ali.
3. Laker fans want to call the Cs racist, discount Russell, beating "plumbers" but count the 5 pre color barrier Minneapolis titles.

Don't let this shit slide.
I am stealing this.

I was born well after his time, and grew up imagining him as somehow being one of the ultimate examples of athletes boosted by championship numbers, who's actual impact was not as great. His box score numbers don't pop like Wilt's. His teammates are nearly all hall of famers. The talk around him is similar to the type you hear about other "intangibles players", which in many cases is to paper over a lack of skill. Adding to this, there is precious little footage from the era, and the game itself is nearly unrecognizable.

Then I heard an awesome podcast going deep on those teams and Russell's impact. It did some estimation of his on/off impact using periods when he was injured, as well as how the team and his teammates performed before and after he arrived in the 50s, as well as when he retired. And it went into detail about his athletic prowess, the types of plays he was able to make, and comparisons to some of the measurables of some of the modern NBA's greatest athletes. It totally opened my eyes. He has to be one of the most criminally underrated athletes of the big four sports in the US, which is saying a lot since he is pretty revered.

MJ had an entire marketing apparatus including the NBA and Nike developing his myth and aura for multiple decades, which I think contributes a lot to his somewhat unanimous GOAT status among some NBA followers. Russell had nothing close to that.

I think a fun project would be digging up old NBA footage and doing a focused breakdown of his impact and true skill as a player back then.
 

Red Averages

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#1 - I love everything about this thread.
#2 - Is there a good Russell Docuseries?
#3 - if not can we crowdsource the funding for one while this legend is still around?
 

terrynever

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When researching a book about Pawtucket’s 21 KIAs from the Vietnam War, I came across some relatives of Raymond Michalopoulos, who as a teenager worked at the R.I. Auditorium, doing light maintenance chores and serving as a ball boy when the Celtics played an occasional preseason game there. According to Ray’s cousin, Mike Connolly, the Celtics sometimes took Ray out to the team dinner. They liked the little Greek kid.
After a game one night, Ray was getting ready to walk home and Russell offered him a ride.
”It was around 1 in the morning,” Mike Connolly recalled in 2015. “The family was sitting around, waiting for Ray. Then a big Cadillac pulls into the driveway. Ray comes into the house, says he wants to introduce us to Bill Russell. Bill walked into the house. My grandmother almost had a heart attack. Bill said, ‘The game was running late and I decided to drop Ray off on my way back to Boston.’ Then he pulls out a Celtics jersey, a pair of gum trunks, signs them to Ray and his family, saying ‘Maybe these will worth something some day.’
This was around 1963 or 1964. Raymond Michalopoulos died in the battle of Dak To in November 1967.
 

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DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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When researching a book about Pawtucket’s 21 KIAs from the Vietnam War, I came across some relatives of Raymond Michalopoulos, who as a teenager worked at the R.I. Auditorium, doing light maintenance chores and serving as a ball boy when the Celtics played an occasional preseason game there. According to Ray’s cousin, Mike Connolly, the Celtics sometimes took Ray out to the team dinner. They liked the little Greek kid.
After a game one night, Ray was getting ready to walk home and Russell offered him a ride.
”It was around 1 in the morning,” Mike Connolly recalled in 2015. “The family was sitting around, waiting for Ray. Then a big Cadillac pulls into the driveway. Ray comes into the house, says he wants to introduce us to Bill Russell. Bill walked into the house. My grandmother almost had a heart attack. Bill said, ‘The game was running late and I decided to drop Ray off on my way back to Boston.’ Then he pulls out a Celtics jersey, a pair of gum trunks, signs them to Ray and his family, saying ‘Maybe these will worth something some day.’
This was around 1963 or 1964. Raymond Michalopoulos died in the battle of Dak To in November 1967.
Thank you for sharing this. It is unsurprising considering Russell's character but still an awesome story.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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#1 - I love everything about this thread.
#2 - Is there a good Russell Docuseries?
#3 - if not can we crowdsource the funding for one while this legend is still around?
There is an On Demand show on Comcast called “Celtics Parquet Panel: Bill Russell”, with Tom Heinsohn, Jojo White, and Satch Sanders with Bob Ryan discussing Russell’s legacy. Not the greatest TV ever, but fun to see and hear these legends talk about Bill.
 

Kliq

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There is an NBATV special called "Mr. Russell's House" from a few years ago with Bill Simmons interviewing Russell. It's very good.