“Whenever I leave the Celtics locker room, even Heaven wouldn”
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Bill Russell
William Felton Russell was an American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that played for 12 NBA championships and won 11 during his 13-year career. Russell is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
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entertainment · American basketball player and coach (1934–2022) · basketball player · basketball coach · actor · high jumper · athlete · also Bill Russell, William Russell, William Felton "Bill" Russell, Russell
Born 12 February 1934 · Died 31 July 2022 · Q242185
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2026· 5 entries
“he intended to cut all personal ties to other players”
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Public attention spiked: 8,946 Wikipedia readers in one day, 3.8× the usual 2,383, with 0 article edits.
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Yahoo! Sports: The 4 Essential Bill Russell Cards for Every Collector
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Yahoo! Sports: Bill Russell's legacy in Boston: Why he's the most important Celtic ever
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2025· 1 entry
The Boston Globe: Karen Kenyatta Russell: Renaming Charlestown Bridge after my late father Bill honors Boston, too
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2024· 1 entry
The Boston Globe: Jump Ball: Should Bill Russell statue move to TD Garden, or stay put at City Hall Plaza?
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2022· 5 entries
It was announced that Russell's No
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NBA: Bill Russell
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Died 2022-07-31.
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ESPN: How Bill Russell's rare memorabilia took years to reach the collectibles market
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The NBA retired Russell's #6 jersey league-wide, making him the only player in NBA history to receive that honor, as well as the third person in North American major professional sports to have their jersey number retire
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2021· 3 entries
theScore: Bill Russell leaving behind memorabilia for next owner of his home
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Won the Basketball Hall of Fame with _Retired Basketball (2021).
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Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a second time in recognition of his coaching career
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2020· 1 entry
The West Coast Conference (WCC), which has been home to Russell's alma mater of USF since the league's formation in 1952, became the first NCAA Division I conference to adopt a conference-wide diversity hiring commitment
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2019· 2 entries
Russell accepted the Hall of Fame ring in a private ceremony with family
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Won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award with _Retired Basketball (2019).
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2017· 2 entries
Russell posted a photograph of himself to a previously unused Twitter account in which he was taking the knee in solidarity with the U
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Russell was announced as the inaugural recipient of the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award
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2013· 4 entries
With Russell in attendance
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Russell was arrested for bringing his registered, loaded
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NBA: NBA History | Bill Russell's Career
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Boston honored Russell by erecting a statue of him on City Hall Plaza
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2011· 2 entries
Won Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by Barack Obama (2011).
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Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments on the court and in the civil rights movement
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2010· 1 entry
A list of the organization's accomplishments on racial progress both in terms of objective milestones and his own subjective experience as a member of the organization
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2009· 6 entries
NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the NBA Finals MVP award would be named after Russell
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NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award would be renamed the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his honor as an 11-time NBA champion
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Russell's erstwhile Knicks opponent Bill Bradley wrote in The New York Times Book Review that Russell "was the smartest player ever to play the game [of basketball]"
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“s motto, passed down to his father and then to him:”
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The NBA renamed the NBA Finals MVP Award in his honor
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Slam named him the third best player of all-time behind Jordan and Chamberlain
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2008· 1 entry
Russell received the Golden Plate Award of the Academy of Achievement
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2007· 5 entries
Russell was inducted as a member of the founding class of the FIBA Hall of Fame
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Awarded honorary doctor of Harvard University (2007).
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And from Dartmouth College on June 14, 2009
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Russell was awarded an honorary doctorate by Suffolk University, where he served as its commencement speaker
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Was voted the third best center of all time by ESPN behind Abdul-Jabbar and Chamberlain
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2001· 1 entry
Russell and David Falkner published Russell Rules: 11 Lessons on Leadership from the Twentieth Century's Greatest Winner
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2000· 1 entry
His longtime teammate Tom Heinsohn described both Russell's stature and his uneasy relationship with Boston more earthily, saying: "Look, all I know is the guy
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1999· 2 entries
The Celtics re-retired Russell's jersey in a ceremony attended by his on-court rival and friend Chamberlain, along with Celtics legend Larry Bird and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Chamberlain's nephew said that Russell was the second person he was told to call
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1995· 1 entry
The Celtics left the Boston Garden and moved into the FleetCenter, now known as the TD Garden; as the main festive act, the Celtics wanted to re-retire Russell's jersey in front of a sellout audience
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1987· 1 entry
Joined Sacramento Kings in 1987.
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1985· 1 entry
Former Celtic teammate Don Chaney, who was head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, asked Russell to tutor Benoit Benjamin, the third overall draft pick from Creighton University, who left after his junior season; accordi
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1979· 2 entries
Russell hosted Saturday Night Live, in which he appeared in several sports-related sketches
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“s Second Wind, and played Judge Roger Ferguson in the Miami Vice episode”
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1977· 1 entry
Married Dorothy Anstett, Miss USA of 1968; they divorced in 1980
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1975· 1 entry
Was one of the founding inductees into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007
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1973· 1 entry
Joined Seattle SuperSonics in 1973.
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1972· 1 entry
Russell had worn the same number 6 at the USF and for the 1956 U
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1971· 2 entries
And the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1980, was named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 (being one of only four players to receive all three honors), and was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Tea
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Russell joined NBA on ABC to do commentary on the Game of the Week
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1970· 1 entry
The Sporting News named Russell the "Athlete of the Decade"
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1968· 1 entry
Awarded Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year (1968).
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1967· 1 entry
“Right now, he (Wilt) is playing like me [to win].”
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1966· 4 entries
Russell agreed to become head coach of the Celtics, and a public announcement was made two days later
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Joined Boston Celtics in 1966.
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The Bill Russell Professional Basketball Shoe
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Russell was promoted to head coach of the Celtics
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1965· 4 entries
Won the All NBA First Team with Boston Celtics (1965).
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Awarded NBA Most Valuable Player Award (1965).
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In a 112–100 win over the Detroit Pistons, Russell grabbed 49 rebounds, which tied for the third-most in a single game in NBA history, along with 27 points and 6 assists
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(equivalent to $1,021,647 in 2025), Russell went to Auerbach and demanded a $100,001 salary, which he promptly received
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1963· 5 entries
Won the All NBA First Team with Boston Celtics (1963).
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Awarded NBA Most Valuable Player Award (1963).
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Awarded NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award (1963).
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Russell recorded his first regular season triple-double after putting up 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 129–123 win over the New York Knicks
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“never met a finer person [than George Powles] ... I owe so much to him it”
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1962· 1 entry
Awarded NBA Most Valuable Player Award (1962).
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1961· 1 entry
Awarded NBA Most Valuable Player Award (1961).
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1960· 1 entry
Russell had 23 points, 51 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 124–100 win over the Syracuse Nationals
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1959· 3 entries
Russell's Celtics hosted Chamberlain's Warriors and pundits called the matchup between the best offensive and defensive centers "The Big Collision" and "Battle of the Titans"
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Won the All NBA First Team with Boston Celtics (1959).
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Russell became the first NBA player to visit Africa
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1958· 1 entry
Awarded NBA Most Valuable Player Award (1958).
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1957· 2 entries
And won an NBA record eight consecutive championships from 1959 to 1966
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In which he recorded 17 points and 25 rebounds, plus an assist
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1956· 3 entries
Played for Boston Celtics (1956–1969).
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Joined Boston Celtics in 1956.
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His graduation year, despite not competing in Olympic high-jump competition
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1955· 1 entry
And 1956, including a string of 55 consecutive victories, and a 26-point, 27-rebound, 20-block performance in one game
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1954· 1 entry
Became the first coach of a major college basketball program to start three African-American players: K
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1953· 2 entries
Played for San Francisco Dons men's basketball (1953–1956).
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Joined San Francisco in 1953.
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1934· 2 entries
Born 1934-02-12.
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To Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana
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