Bill Russell

Bill stood for something much bigger than sports," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

In 2009, the MVP trophy of the NBA Finals was named in his honor. In 2013, a statue was unveiled on Boston’s City Hall Plaza of Russell surrounded by blocks of granite with quotes on leadership and character. Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate teammate, and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever. Celtics coach and general manager Red Auerbach so coveted Russell that he worked out a trade with the St. Louis Hawks for the second pick in the draft. From my first moment of being alive was the notion that my mother and father loved me.” It was Russell’s mother who would tell him to disregard comments from those who might see him playing in the yard. The Celtics also picked up Tommy Heinsohn and K.C. Jones, Russell’s college teammate, in the same draft. At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps,” Silver said. He endured insults and vandalism, but he kept on focusing on making the teammates who he loved better players and made possible the success of so many who would follow.” But it was Jackie Robinson who gave Russell a road map for dealing with racism in his sport: “Jackie was a hero to us. He was at the March on Washington in 1963, when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech, and he backed Muhammad Ali when the boxer was pilloried for refusing induction into the military draft. Often, that meant Wilt Chamberlain, the only player of the era who was a worthy rival for Russell. A Hall of Famer, five-time Most Valuable Player and 12-time All-Star, Russell in 1980 was voted the greatest player in the NBA history by basketball writers.

Ganador de 11 títulos de campeón de la NBA, Bill Russell ha fallecido a los 88 años.

Russell, que alcanzó la perfección con Boston Celtics en la década de 1960, fue un ejemplo para varias generaciones, tanto dentro como fuera de la cancha. Alguien que se puso de frente a las injusticias y aprovechó su posición para cambiar las cosas. Una figura que, a los 88 años de edad, ha fallecido junto a su familia según anunció esta a través de redes sociales.

BOSTON (AP) — Bill Russell, la leyenda de la NBA que fue el pilar de la dinastía de...

También ganó la medalla olímpica de oro en los Juegos de Melbourne 1956. Russell sigue siendo el jugador más laureado del deporte y un modelo de sacrificio, dedicándose al trabajo defensivo para dejarle a los demás que se encargaran de anotar los puntos. Obviando las burlas, las amenazas y una adversidad impensable, se mantuvo fiel a su creencia de que todos merecen ser tratados con dignidad”.

NBA legend Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and the first Black head coach in the league, passed away "peacefully" Sunday, ...

At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps. "The countless accolades that he earned for his storied career with the Boston Celtics -- including a record 11 championships and five MVP awards -- only begin to tell the story of Bill's immense impact on our league and broader society. As tall as Bill Russell stood, his legacy rises far higher -- both as a player and as a person. Our thoughts are with his family as we mourn his passing and celebrate his enormous legacy in basketball, Boston, and beyond." "Along the way, Bill earned a string of individual awards that stands unprecedented as it went unmentioned by him. "It is with a very heavy heart we would like to pass along to all of Bill's friends, fans, & followers," the statement reads.

A Hall of Famer who led the Celtics to 11 championships, he was “the single most devastating force in the history of the game,” his coach Red Auerbach said.

The event was also a fund-raiser for the National Mentoring Partnership, whose programs he had helped develop as a board member. Russell married for the fourth time, to Jeannine Fiorito, in 2016. The Celtics won N.B.A. titles in Russell’s last two seasons, when he was their player-coach. Fritz Pollard, a star running back, had coached in the National Football League, but that was in the 1920s, when it was a fledgling operation. The Celtics’ streak of eight consecutive titles was snapped in Russell’s first year as coach, but it took one of the N.B.A.’s greatest teams to do it. He found the prospect of yearlong worldwide travel unappealing and wrote how “their specialty is clowning and I had no intention of being billed as a funny guy in a basketball uniform.” He was bruised by the humiliations his family had faced when he was young in segregated Louisiana and by widespread racism in Boston. When he joined the Celtics in 1956, he was their only Black player. At McClymonds High School in Oakland, Russell became a starter on the basketball team as a senior, already emphasizing defense and rebounding. “It was a way for my body to get rid of all excesses.” He went to Mississippi after the civil rights activist Medgar Evers was murdered and worked with Evers’s brother, Charles, to open an integrated basketball camp in Jackson. He was among a group of prominent Black athletes who supported Muhammad Ali when Ali refused induction into the armed forces during the Vietnam War. He finished his career as the No. 2 rebounder in N.B.A. history, behind his longtime rival Wilt Chamberlain, who had three inches on him. Russell’s quickness and his uncanny ability to block shots transformed the center position, once a spot for slow and hulking types.

Bill Russell, the who has been called the greatest team player in sports, leading the Celtics to 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons, died. He was 88.

He always had an icy relationship with the city of Boston, calling it a "flea market of racism" after vandals broke into his house in the late 1960s, and he refused to show up for a ceremony when his jersey was retired in 1972. He won two college championships at the University of San Francisco (1955 and '56) and the gold medal in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956. Russell and the Celtics beat Chamberlain's Philadelphia Warriors in the playoffs in 1960 and 1962, the San Francisco Warriors in the Finals in 1964, the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs in 1965, 1966 and 1968 and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals in 1969. "There are two types of superstars," Don Nelson, Russell's teammate on the Celtics once said. Russell was one of the few athletes who spoke out against racism during the 1950s and 60s. He and his teammates didn't play in an exhibition game in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1961 when they were refused service at a local diner. He was so good that his Celtics teammates became more aggressive on the outside because they knew they had him in the middle. "To me, one of the most beautiful things to see is a group of men coordinating their efforts toward a common goal, alternately subordinating and asserting themselves to achieve real teamwork in action," Russell wrote when he retired. “Bill Russell was the greatest champion in all of team sports," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. He coached three seasons, had a record of 162-83 and won two championships. He could leave his man and pick up a driving offensive player, or he could come across the lane to block shots. “I played a team game and the only important statistic was who won the game,” Russell said in 2014 at the unveiling of his statue at Boston’s City Hall. “So, I would always thank my teammates for letting me help them be champions.

urielblanco. (CNN) — Bill Russell, 11 veces campeón de la NBA como jugador de los Boston Celtics y primer entrenador negro de la liga, falleció este domingo ...

A pesar de las burlas, las amenazas y las impensables adversidades, Bill se sobrepuso a todo y se mantuvo fiel a su creencia de que todo el mundo merece ser tratado con dignidad”. “Bill Russell fue el mayor campeón de todos los deportes de equipo”, dijo Silver en un comunicado. “Bill Russell, el ganador más prolífico de la historia del deporte estadounidense, murió en paz hoy a los 88 años, con su esposa, Jeannine, a su lado.

La leyenda de los Boston Celtics, Bill Russell, quien ganó 11 campeonatos en 13 temporadas con el equipo, falleció, según anunció su familia el domingo. Su.

Quizás revivan uno o dos de los momentos dorados que nos dio, o recuerden su risa característica mientras disfrutaba explicando la historia real. "La esposa de Bill, Jeannine, y sus muchos amigos y familiares les agradecen por mantener a Bill en sus oraciones. Su familia publicó un mensaje celebrando la vida de uno de los mejores jugadores de la historia de la NBA.

El jugador con más campeonatos en la historia de la liga (11) murió "en paz" con su ahora viuda, Jeannine, a su lado. Tenía 88 años.

Russell lo hizo de todos modos, y se asoció con el guardia K.C. Jones para llevar a los Dons a 55 victorias consecutivas y títulos nacionales en 1955 y 1956. Tuvo 51 rebotes en un partido, 49 en otros dos y 12 temporadas seguidas de 1,000 o más rebotes. En la USF, fue dos veces All-American, ganó dos campeonatos consecutivos de NCAA y llevó al equipo a 55 victorias consecutivas. El único año que perdieron los Celtics, en 1958 ante los St. Louis Hawks, la serie estaba empatada 2-2 cuando Russell se lesionó y fue hospitalizado. Russell, cinco veces MVP y 12 veces All-Star, fue un bloqueador asombroso que revolucionó los conceptos defensivos de la NBA. Terminó con 21,620 rebotes en su carrera, un promedio de 22.5 por partido, y lideró la liga en rebotes cuatro veces. "A pesar de todos sus triunfos, la comprensión de Bill de protestar es lo que iluminó su vida.

(CNN) -- Bill Russell, 11 veces campeón de la NBA como jugador de los Boston Celtics y primer entrenador negro de la liga, falleció este domingo "en paz", ...

A pesar de las burlas, las amenazas y las impensables adversidades, Bill se sobrepuso a todo y se mantuvo fiel a su creencia de que todo el mundo merece ser tratado con dignidad". "Bill Russell fue el mayor campeón de todos los deportes de equipo", dijo Silver en un comunicado. "Es con un corazón muy triste que nos gustaría transmitir a todos los amigos, fans y seguidores de Bill", dice el comunicado.

BOSTON (AP) — Bill Russell, la leyenda de la NBA que fue el pilar de la dinastía de los Celtics de Boston que ganó 11 campeones en 13 años —

También ganó la medalla olímpica de oro en los Juegos de Melbourne 1956. Russell sigue siendo el jugador más laureado del deporte y un modelo de sacrificio, dedicándose al trabajo defensivo para dejarle a los demás que se encargaran de anotar los puntos. Obviando las burlas, las amenazas y una adversidad impensable, se mantuvo fiel a su creencia de que todos merecen ser tratados con dignidad”. Tal vez puedan revivir uno o dos de los momentos dorados que nos brindó, o recordar su singular sonrisa cuando se deleitaba explicando la verdadera historia sobre cómo se desarrollaron esos momentos", dijo la familia. Russell llevó a la Universidad de San Francisco a la conquista de los campeonatos de la NCAA en 1955 y 1956. Su familia difundió la noticia en las redes sociales.

Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully Sunday at age 88. Read more on Boston.com.

The ceremony began with Russell becoming involved in activities with the Celtics and the City of Boston again. Incidents like that led Russell to call Boston a “flea market of racism” and he refused to attend the public ceremony for his jersey number retirement in 1972. Racial incidents such as that, plus his experience as a youth and in college, led Russell to become a civil rights advocate. Russell won his first Most Valuable Player award in 1958, but the Celtics fell in the NBA Finals to the Hawks. Boston won eight straight titles after that, with Russell winning four MVP awards (1961-63 and 1965) during that stretch. Russell helped the Celtics win the first title in the franchise’s history as a rookie in 1957. Russell’s Celtics fell short in his first year as coach, losing to Chamberlain’s 76ers in the Eastern Division Finals in 1967. “For all the winning, Bill’s understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life,” the statement read. After adding Chamberlain, the Lakers were considered favorites in the series. Not only did Russell become a player-coach, he became the first-ever black head coach for a North American professional sports team. On the court, Russell led the school to two national titles, with Russell winning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Award in 1955. When Russell was 8, his father moved the family to Oakland, California, where they struggled with poverty. Hall-of-Fame Lakers center George Mikan was his favorite player as he joined McClymonds High School’s basketball team in Oakland.

The former president cited the basketball great as a leader on and off the court. President Barack Obama presents Basketball Hall of Fame member and human ...

“More than any athlete of his era, Bill Russell came to define the word ‘winner,’” Obama said at the time. But, as Obama noted, he was also an activist, part of a coterie of 1960s greats — including boxer Muhammad Ali and football’s Jim Brown — that was known for its deep devotion to civil rights and social justice. “Today we lost a giant,” Obama tweeted shortly after Russell’s family announced that he had died on Sunday at 88.

The Celtics icon and 11-time NBA champion leaves a profound impact, on and off the court.

In 2012 the NBA released a documentary about the night in 1962 when Wilt scored 100 points in a single game, and Russell did the narration. He remained wary and held the media at arm’s length, but he was approachable and often brightened a room with his distinctive high-pitched cackle that seemed to come out of nowhere. Game 7 of the Finals at the Forum in Los Angeles, Russell in his final season with the Celtics, Wilt in his first season with the Lakers. And remembering the slights of a league in which a de facto segregation existed, he refused to attend his 1975 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. But encouraged by NBA commissioner David Stern, he gradually returned to the fold and became more and more of a fixture during All-Star Weekends, the Finals and other NBA events. He was 34, beaten down by so many trips up and down the floor and also the mental burden of serving as the team’s player-coach, an honor that Auerbach had bestowed on him in 1966. Though Russell often felt that his talents weren’t recognized by the media and the fans, he was voted MVP of the league five times, one more, he was sure to have noted, than Wilt earned. Russell had spent the summer of 1968 living with Jim Brown in Hollywood as news from the chaotic Democratic convention washed over them like a tidal wave. They hung in netting on the Forum ceiling, a silent, inflated taunt that Russell and the Celtics noticed when they took the court. But Russell also frequently got the rebound and joined the break, finishing it with a dunk at the other end. That was William Felton Russell, who learned his basketball chops on the Oakland playgrounds, refined them at the University of San Francisco and perfected them with the Boston Celtics. Russell wasn’t the first great defensive center, but he was the first around whom an offense could be constructed from his defensive talents.

BOSTON (AP) — Bill Russell, la leyenda de la NBA que fue el pilar de la dinastía de los Celtics de Boston que ganó 11 campeones en 13 años — los últimos ...

Desde el primer momento en el que estuve vivo, tuve la noción de que mi madre y mi padre me amaban”. Fue la madre de Russell quien le decía que ignorara los comentarios de quienes pudieran verlo jugar en el patio. “Bill Russell, el hombre, es alguien que apoyó los derechos y la dignidad de todos los hombres”, dijo Obama en la ceremonia. Red Auerback, entrenador y gerente general de los Celtics, codiciaba tanto a Russell que trabajó para hacer posible un intercambio con los Hawks de San Luis por la segunda selección del draft. Pero fue Jackie Robinson quien le dio a Russell un mapa para lidiar con el racismo en el deporte: “Jackie fue un héroe para nosotros. Aún así, Russell llegó a Boston con quejas de que no era lo suficientemente bueno. Russell sigue siendo el jugador más laureado del deporte y un modelo de sacrificio, dedicándose al trabajo defensivo para dejarle a los demás que se encargaran de anotar los puntos. Obviando las burlas, las amenazas y una adversidad impensable, se mantuvo fiel a su creencia de que todos merecen ser tratados con dignidad”. Años después, la gente me preguntó qué tuve que superar”, dijo Russell en 2008. Tal vez puedan revivir uno o dos de los momentos dorados que nos brindó, o recordar su singular sonrisa cuando se deleitaba explicando la verdadera historia sobre cómo se desarrollaron esos momentos”, dijo la familia. Soportó insultos y vandalismo, pero se concentró en hacer mejores jugadores a sus compañeros que amaba e hizo posible el éxito de muchos que lo siguieron”. Su familia difundió la noticia en las redes sociales. “La esposa de Bill, Jeannine, y sus muchos amigos y familiares quieren dar las gracias por tener a Bill en sus oraciones.

El basquetbolista Bill Russell, quien fue 11 veces campeón de la NBA con los Boston Celtics y leyenda del deporte estadounidense, falleció este domingo.

12 de septiembre de 2021 - Es incluido en el Salón de la Fama del Baloncesto como entrenador. 15 de noviembre de 2019 - En una ceremonia privada, acepta su anillo del Salón de la Fama del Baloncesto de 1975. Julio de 2015 - Un juez federal aprueba el acuerdo final de US$ 60 millones derivado de las demandas de Russell y otros atletas universitarios. El récord de victorias de Russell como entrenador principal de la NBA es de 341-290 en la temporada regular y 34-27 en los playoffs. 29 de abril de 1956 - Seleccionado en segundo lugar en el draft de la NBA por los St. Louis Hawks y luego traspasado a los Boston Celtics. - Doce veces All-Star de la NBA de 1958 a 1969 y MVP del All-Star en 1963.

Russell marched with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., spoke out against segregation in Boston public schools and backed Muhammad Ali in his opposition ...

Russell’s influence in leading the 1961 strike could be felt in 2020, when the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play a playoff game as a protest of police brutality. Haywood said in an interview on Sunday that he and Russell would often dine at a Seattle restaurant called 13 Coins after road trips, and Russell would regale him with stories about the civil rights movement. “He always used to tell me about not getting too carried away because we were in the ’70s,” Haywood recalled. He didn’t always have the support of his teammates. Haywood said his teammates would jokingly refer to Russell as Haywood’s “daddy” because of how close they were. (In 1966, Russell became the first Black coach in the N.B.A.) That same year, Russell offered his public support for demonstrations against segregation in Boston public schools, and addressed Black students taking part in a sit-in. When the civil rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated, also in 1963, Russell contacted Evers’s older brother, Charles, in Jackson, Miss., and offered his assistance. What I’m worried about is the rest of us.” It’s easy to remember the shots that Bill Russell blocked or the N.B.A. championships he won. But after his nearly nine decades of life, his most consequential legacy has less to do with the sport he dominated than his work off the court. He set the trend.”

Bill Russell, the NBA great who anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13 years died on Sunday. He was 88.

In 2009, the MVP trophy of the NBA Finals was named in his honor. In 2013, a statue was unveiled on Boston's City Hall Plaza of Russell surrounded by blocks of granite with quotes on leadership and character. Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate teammate, and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever. Celtics coach and general manager Red Auerbach so coveted Russell that he worked out a trade with the St. Louis Hawks for the second pick in the draft. But it was Jackie Robinson who gave Russell a road map for dealing with racism in his sport: "Jackie was a hero to us. "She hung the phone up and I asked myself, 'How do you get to be a hero to Jackie Robinson?'" Russell said. The Celtics won it all again in 1959, starting an unprecedented string of eight consecutive NBA crowns. He endured insults and vandalism, but he kept on focusing on making the teammates who he loved better players and made possible the success of so many who would follow." The native of Louisiana also left a lasting mark as a Black athlete in a city — and country — where race is often a flash point. It was Russell's mother who would tell him to disregard comments from those who might see him playing in the yard. Often, that meant Wilt Chamberlain, the only player of the era who was a worthy rival for Russell. At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps," Silver said.

Celtics legend and 11-time NBA Champion Bill Russell died 'peacefully' at the age of 88, his family confirmed Sunday.

“To me, one of the most beautiful things to see is a group of men coordinating their efforts toward a common goal, alternately subordinating and asserting themselves to achieve real teamwork in action,” Russell once wrote. The Celtics exacted revenge on the 76ers the following season, winning the division finals 4-3 before defeating the Lakers 4-2 for Russell’s first championship as a player-coach. Those qualities would serve Russell in 1966 when Auerbach retired to focus on responsibilities as a general manager. I got to succeed or fail on this job not as a Black man or a white man or a green man, but as a coach. But there’s another type who makes the players around him look better than they are, and that’s the type Russell was.” He averaged at least 23 rebounds per game for seven straight seasons with a team-first acumen, all while helping to revolutionize the game on the defensive end. Boston took full advantage, often funneling opponents toward Russell. That, in turn, allowed the Celtics to play more aggressively on the perimeter. A dominant shot blocker, Russell was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player five times, in addition to earning All-Star recognition on 12 occasions in his 13-year career. Russell attended McClymonds High School in Oakland, where he was awkward and struggled to find playing time until his senior year. There, he paired up with future Celtics teammate K.C. Jones to lead San Francisco to 56 consecutive wins and NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. Russell racked up 21,620 career rebounds (22.5 per game), which ranks second only to Chamberlain’s career mark, and was a four-time season rebounding leader. “And we hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bill’s uncompromising, dignified and always constructive commitment to principle.

Known as the winningest NBA player of all time, Bill Russell also blazed trails as a civil rights advocate.

Regarded as a recluse for much of his post-retirement years, Russell did occasionally take to social media in the final stages of his life, posting about basketball and his travels. In 2009, the NBA renamed the Finals Most Valuable Player award the “Bill Russell Award,” a fitting honor for a man who went 21-0 in winner-take-all games between his collegiate, Olympic and professional careers. Russell boycotted an exhibition game in 1961 in Lexington, Kentucky after two of his teammates were denied service in a coffee shop and was a highly visible member of the Black Power movement. Even as the Vietnam War and other off-court issues compromised his attention during his last season, Russell went out on top in his final campaign, combining with John Havlicek to lead the Celtics to a seven-game NBA Finals victory over the Lakers. Russell had 26 rebounds in his last professional game, a 108-106 road victory that cemented Boston as the first team to win the NBA Finals after losing the first two games. Bitter feelings over his treatment in Boston led Russell to forgo attending his own jersey retirement in 1972 and Hall of Fame induction in 1975. The 1966 series, also against the Lakers, required seven games, and he willed the Celtics to a 95-93 victory with 25 points and a game-high 32 rebounds.

Su hoja de vida incluye muchos premios, títulos y conquistas. Dos manos no fueron suficientes para lucir todos los anillos que ganó en la NBA.

Su legado es la prueba contundente de que fue un hombre cabal, humilde, íntegro y respetable como ningún otro. Nadie en el mundo de la NBA, pudo animarse siquiera a intentar faltarle el respeto. Cuando se lo recuerde de ahora en más, no habrá divisiones. Fue LEYENDA dentro de una cancha, pero también fuera de ella. Una grandeza tan enorme que casi no cabía en sus 2,08 metros de estatura. La noticia llegó como un baldazo de agua fría. Como siempre.

Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell was a civil rights trailblazer, before, during and after his basketball career. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of ...

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Russell showed as much love and respect to younger players as they showed to him. Some, like Charles Barkley, referred to him simply as “Mr. Russell.”

And you finally got in the right uniform.” He also shared a special bond with Kevin Garnett, who in 2008 took the Celtics to their first N.B.A. finals since 1987. Russell led the Boston Celtics to 11 championships, seven of them with N.B.A. finals wins over the Lakers — and all of them colored in Celtics green. He looked at the group intently and pointed at each of them. “I think that you’re going to win at least two or three championships here,” Russell said. The statement mentioned Russell’s championships — two in high school, two in college, one in the Olympics and 11 in the N.B.A. — nodded to his personal accolades and highlighted his lifelong fight against racial discrimination. On Jan. 26, 2020, Bryant died in a helicopter crash with his daughter Gianna and seven other people. They marveled at his talent on the court, how he became the most feared defender of his era — a dominant force before blocks became an official statistic. It was a bit of a role reversal for Russell, who in his later years was usually the one delivering zingers. West played on six of those Lakers teams that lost to Russell’s Celtics, and the two became friends later in life. “Where did they find all these tall people?” Russell asked, onstage at an N.B.A. awards show in 2017. It was a day to celebrate Elgin Baylor, whom the Los Angeles Lakers had just honored with a statue outside their home arena.

The promise of America is that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. We've never fully lived up to that.

That was Bill Russell. From a childhood in segregated Louisiana to a career playing on the biggest stages in sports at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Bill faced the hostility and hate of racism embedded in every part of American life. And on this day, there are generations of Americans who are reflecting on what he meant to them as someone who played for the essential truth that every person is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. The promise of America is that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives.

BOSTON (AP) — Bill Russell, la leyenda de la NBA que fue el pilar de la dinastía de los Celtics de Boston que ganó 11 campeones en 13 años — los últimos ...

Desde el primer momento en el que estuve vivo, tuve la noción de que mi madre y mi padre me amaban”. Fue la madre de Russell quien le decía que ignorara los comentarios de quienes pudieran verlo jugar en el patio. En 2009, el trofeo al MVP de las Finales de la NBA fue bautizado con su nombre. Chuck Cooper, el primer negro que jugó en la NBA, fue su selección. “Bill Russell, el hombre, es alguien que apoyó los derechos y la dignidad de todos los hombres”, dijo Obama en la ceremonia. Red Auerbach, entrenador y gerente general de los Celtics, codiciaba tanto a Russell que trabajó para hacer posible un intercambio con los Hawks de San Luis por la segunda selección del draft. Pero fue Jackie Robinson quien le dio a Russell un mapa para lidiar con el racismo en el deporte: “Jackie fue un héroe para nosotros. Aún así, Russell llegó a Boston con quejas de que no era lo suficientemente bueno. Russell sigue siendo el jugador más laureado del deporte y un modelo de sacrificio, dedicándose al trabajo defensivo para dejarle a los demás que se encargaran de anotar los puntos. Obviando las burlas, las amenazas y una adversidad impensable, se mantuvo fiel a su creencia de que todos merecen ser tratados con dignidad”. Años después, la gente me preguntó qué tuve que superar”, dijo Russell en 2008. Tal vez puedan revivir uno o dos de los momentos dorados que nos brindó, o recordar su singular sonrisa cuando se deleitaba explicando la verdadera historia sobre cómo se desarrollaron esos momentos”, dijo la familia. Su familia difundió la noticia en las redes sociales.

Casi como un ritual, uno que ya fuera por necesidades fisiológicas o por costumbre sucedía en todas las jornadas que los Boston Celtics tenían que salir a jugar ...

La sociedad estadounidense tuvo que atravesar un complicado camino en la década de los sesenta por la negativa de ciertos sectores a poner fin a una segregación más que evidente a todos los niveles. Bill distinguió siempre entre franquicia y aficionados, solo así se explica que la ceremonia de retirada de su dorsal ocurriera a puerta cerrada y con los más cercanos, años después de colgar las botas. El fallecimiento de Bill Russell supone la desaparición de una personalidad sinigual. Esa relación significó una confianza y una sinergia que ejerció de combustible para Russell en momentos críticos. Si hay algo más complicado que ganar en el deporte de élite es hacerlo de manera consistente y reiterativa. Todo esto forjó en él una fuerte convicción sobre sí mismo, pero también un remarcable sentido de dignidad, la cual nunca traicionó por caer en gracia a la sociedad blanca o a la opinión pública mayoritaria. No obstante, ese deseo enfermizo por vencer tenía detrás un motor que explica en gran medida la durabilidad del proyecto de los Celtics: la unión y compenetración del grupo. Pero todas esas palabras no sirven de nada si no vienen refrendadas por hechos, algo que Auerbach siempre se encargó de tener muy en cuenta. La superioridad física, técnica y táctica del interior le hacían alguien diferencial sobre la cancha, de ahí que su impacto en Boston tardase poco en verse. Encontrar un símil a su deseo de victoria resulta difícil. Solo los más cercanos y que compartieron vivencias con el interior pueden dar buena cuenta de ello. Tal era el calado de esta particular tradición que en una ocasión en un partido ante Philadelphia llegó a oídos de Red Auerbach que Bill no había vomitado. Mística y realidad son dos aspectos que se entrelazan a la hora de hablar de los Celtics de Russell. Una dinastía con todas sus letras, la más duradera que haya visto la liga, pero que no estuvo exenta de problemas, limitaciones, trabas y dificultades. A un lado del vestuario, ya fuese local o visitante, se colocaba una figura de enorme tamaño, de piernas y brazos largos, amarrado a un cubo.

Casi como un ritual, uno que ya fuera por necesidades fisiológicas o por costumbre sucedía en todas las jornadas que los Boston Celtics tenían que salir a jugar ...

La sociedad estadounidense tuvo que atravesar un complicado camino en la década de los sesenta por la negativa de ciertos sectores a poner fin a una segregación más que evidente a todos los niveles. Bill distinguió siempre entre franquicia y aficionados, solo así se explica que la ceremonia de retirada de su dorsal ocurriera a puerta cerrada y con los más cercanos, años después de colgar las botas. El fallecimiento de Bill Russell supone la desaparición de una personalidad sinigual. Esa relación significó una confianza y una sinergia que ejerció de combustible para Russell en momentos críticos. Si hay algo más complicado que ganar en el deporte de élite es hacerlo de manera consistente y reiterativa. Todo esto forjó en él una fuerte convicción sobre sí mismo, pero también un remarcable sentido de dignidad, la cual nunca traicionó por caer en gracia a la sociedad blanca o a la opinión pública mayoritaria. No obstante, ese deseo enfermizo por vencer tenía detrás un motor que explica en gran medida la durabilidad del proyecto de los Celtics: la unión y compenetración del grupo. Pero todas esas palabras no sirven de nada si no vienen refrendadas por hechos, algo que Auerbach siempre se encargó de tener muy en cuenta. La superioridad física, técnica y táctica del interior le hacían alguien diferencial sobre la cancha, de ahí que su impacto en Boston tardase poco en verse. Encontrar un símil a su deseo de victoria resulta difícil. Solo los más cercanos y que compartieron vivencias con el interior pueden dar buena cuenta de ello. Tal era el calado de esta particular tradición que en una ocasión en un partido ante Philadelphia llegó a oídos de Red Auerbach que Bill no había vomitado. Mística y realidad son dos aspectos que se entrelazan a la hora de hablar de los Celtics de Russell. Una dinastía con todas sus letras, la más duradera que haya visto la liga, pero que no estuvo exenta de problemas, limitaciones, trabas y dificultades. A un lado del vestuario, ya fuese local o visitante, se colocaba una figura de enorme tamaño, de piernas y brazos largos, amarrado a un cubo.

El comisionado de la NBA Adam Silver dijo en un comunicado que “el campeón supremo en todos los deportes por equipos”. Advertisement. “Bill representó algo ...

Desde el primer momento en el que estuve vivo, tuve la noción de que mi madre y mi padre me amaban”. Fue la madre de Russell quien le decía que ignorara los comentarios de quienes pudieran verlo jugar en el patio. En 2009, el trofeo al MVP de las Finales de la NBA fue bautizado con su nombre. Chuck Cooper, el primer negro que jugó en la NBA, fue su selección. “Bill Russell, el hombre, es alguien que apoyó los derechos y la dignidad de todos los hombres”, dijo Obama en la ceremonia. Red Auerbach, entrenador y gerente general de los Celtics, codiciaba tanto a Russell que trabajó para hacer posible un intercambio con los Hawks de San Luis por la segunda selección del draft. Pero fue Jackie Robinson quien le dio a Russell un mapa para lidiar con el racismo en el deporte: “Jackie fue un héroe para nosotros. Aún así, Russell llegó a Boston con quejas de que no era lo suficientemente bueno. Russell sigue siendo el jugador más laureado del deporte y un modelo de sacrificio, dedicándose al trabajo defensivo para dejarle a los demás que se encargaran de anotar los puntos. Obviando las burlas, las amenazas y una adversidad impensable, se mantuvo fiel a su creencia de que todos merecen ser tratados con dignidad”. Años después, la gente me preguntó qué tuve que superar”, dijo Russell en 2008. Tal vez puedan revivir uno o dos de los momentos dorados que nos brindó, o recordar su singular sonrisa cuando se deleitaba explicando la verdadera historia sobre cómo se desarrollaron esos momentos”, dijo la familia. Su familia difundió la noticia en las redes sociales.

The Celtics enshrined Russell's No. 6 among those that will never be worn again. The NBA should do the same.

He did in 1972, when the Celtics raised his number to the rafters, going along with it only after the team agreed to do it in an empty Boston Garden. In 1975, Russell refused to attend his Hall of Fame induction because he believed other Black athletes, including Cooper, deserved to be enshrined first. Late in life, Russell told a story about the day Robinson died. He said he took a call from Robinson’s wife, Rachel, who asked Russell to be a pallbearer at Robinson’s funeral. He racked up an 11–1 Finals record in a city where, according to Russell, he was referred to as “baboon,” “coon” and “ni-----. Russell would never ask for his number to be retired. Bill Russell and Jackie Robinson were in that same class.” And he went to buy another house. And he was so taken by it, he started to cry. And what his remarks were like, "I want to live in Reading for the rest of my life." In 1997, at a ceremony during a game between the Dodgers and Mets, then MLB commissioner Bud Selig announced that, once the group of players currently wearing the number gave it up, no one would wear No. 42 again. The NBA has done much to honor Russell’s legacy. William Felton Russell died Sunday. He was 88.

Basketball fans, athletes and elected leaders are mourning the death of Celtics great Bill Russell. The NBA legend and civil rights advocate died Sunday at ...

"He was the best." "My dad used to talk about him as just, the guy, how he was just this incredible player, and there was nobody like him," he said. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she was devastated by the news. Gov. Charlie Baker called Russell the greatest of all time, as someone who broke barriers in both "the game of basketball and the game of life for Black athletes and Americans." "He put up with a lot in Boston, and he just kept on winning, kept on working at it, dedicated to the sport, just a good person," he said. "To be the greatest champion in your sport, to revolutionize the way the game is played, and to be a societal leader all at once seems unthinkable, but that is who Bill Russell was."