![]() He last led the Sacramento Kings as president of basketball operations in the late 1980s. ![]() Over the next several decades he periodically came back to the game as a coach or as an executive, but his teams failed to win with the kind of regularity he enjoyed as a player. Executive and Hall of Fameįollowing the 1969 season, Russell retired from the game. Who Was Bill Russell Hall of Fame basketball center Bill Russell led the University of San Francisco to consecutive NCAA titles before starting his pro career with the Boston Celtics in 1956. Rather than play for somebody else, Russell took over as a player-coach, steering the team to titles in 19. 6 will be retired, not just for his team, the Boston Celtics, but for the entire N.B.A. He most likely would have led the league in blocked shots many times, but the NBA had not yet started keeping track of the statistic.įollowing the 1966 season, in which Russell led the Celtics to an eighth consecutive title, Auerbach retired from coaching. 12, 2022 Bill Russell, who died last month at 88, is getting a rare honor: His No. Five times he was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, and his 21,620 rebounds are second only to Chamberlain’s career mark. Over his 13 seasons in the league, the team played in 12 NBA finals, winning 11 of them.Įven against more physically imposing centers, like Wilt Chamberlain, Russell was a defensive and rebounding force. It was the start of an unprecedented championship run for Russell and the Celtics. ![]() ![]() A four-time NBA rebounding champion, he ranks second in. With Russell anchoring the middle of the floor, the Celtics finished with the NBA's best record in 1957, and went on to win the title over the Hawks in a tense seven-game series. Russell was named to all four NBA anniversary teams (25 th, 35 th, 50 th and 75 th) and inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. ![]()
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