Bill Russell RIP

[IONA86]

Bill Russell has passed away. 11 titles... what more can be said about Russell's dominance.

nypost.com/2022/07/31/bill-russell-celtics-legend-and-nba-trailblazer-dead-at-88/

11 NBA Titles as a player
2 NBA Titles as a coach
2 NCAA Championships
1 Olympic Gold Medal
2X Hall of Fame inductee Paler and coach
In 10 Game 7’s, he never lost once. He never lost a winner take all game in college, the pros or in the olympics.

[ic59]

I started following sports in 1945 and probably because they were the dominant NL team, the St. Louis Cardinals became my team. They ended up winning the NL in '42/43/44/46 and won three World Championships along the way. So when I became interested in college BB, the St. Louis Billikens was the team I rooted for, before I became an Iona fan. And when the star of the Billikens, Easy Ed McAuley joined the Celtics, I did also. And even with Cousey, Sharman and McAuley they were a pretty good team but, they weren't a dominant team, until Bill Russell joined the team. My baseball Cardinals fell behind the Dodgers and Giants in the 1950's, because they were slow to add black players. So, it was the Celtics of Russell, the Jones (Sam and KC), Cousey, Sharman, Havlicek, Ramsey, and Heinsohn that ensured that this teenager would have at least one winning team, that I rooted for. But no doubt it was Bill Russell that led the way.

[Super]

Loved the Celtics/76ers rivalry. Russell vs Wilt. Legendary games with 2 great teams. I disliked but respected the Celtics, particularly with coach Red Auerbach lighting cigars when he thought the game was done.
Russell:
-won 11 championships during 13 dominant NBA seasons
-won NCAA championships with the University of San Francisco in 1955 and 1956
-averaged 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds per game during his career from 1956 to 1969
-became the first Black coach in professional sports in North America in 1966, spending his last three seasons with the Celtics as a player-coach
-final two championships came as a player-coach, making Russell the first Black coach to win a professional championship in North America
-One of my favorite all-time NBA tv analysts

“But for all the winning, Bill’s understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life,” reads Sunday’s announcement.

“From boycotting a 1961 exhibition game to unmask too-long-tolerated discrimination, to leading Mississippi’s first integrated basketball camp in the combustible wake of Medgar Evans’ assassination, to decades of activism ultimately recognized by his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010, Bill called out injustice with an unforgiving candor that he intended would disrupt the status quo, and with a powerful example that, though never his humble intention, will forever inspire teammwork, selflessness and thoughtful change.”

www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/ny-bill-russell-obituary-20220731-uyl3k55p35f2zntyct53hceqcq-story.html

[gregcrow]

Jul 31, 2022 14:30:20 GMT -5 ic59 said:

I started following sports in 1945 and probably because they were the dominant NL team, the St. Louis Cardinals became my team. They ended up winning the NL in '42/43/44/46 and won three World Championships along the way. So when I became interested in college BB, the St. Louis Billikens was the team I rooted for, before I became an Iona fan. And when the star of the Billikens, Easy Ed McAuley joined the Celtics, I did also. And even with Cousey, Sharman and McAuley they were a pretty good team but, they weren't a dominant team, until Bill Russell joined the team. My baseball Cardinals fell behind the Dodgers and Giants in the 1950's, because they were slow to add black players. So, it was the Celtics of Russell, the Jones (Sam and KC), Cousey, Sharman, Havlicek, Ramsey, and Heinsohn that ensured that this teenager would have at least one winning team, that I rooted for. But no doubt it was Bill Russell that led the way.

Wow. Never knew you played for the Celtics!

[ic59]

Greg, I didn't play, but I was the guy who lighted Red Auerbach's cigar.