Top 10 Little-Known Facts about Basketballer Bill Russell

Former Boston Celtics player, Bill Russell, during his first years with the franchise photo sourced from Wikimedia commons

Top 10 Little-Known Facts about Basketballer Bill Russell

Bill Russell is a well-known NBA legend who was a key member of the legendary Boston Celtics who wreaked havoc in the 1950s and 1960s. He is widely regarded as the best centre to ever play in the NBA. His unrivalled contributions helped the Boston Celtics reach the pinnacle of the game. 

His coach once described him as the solitary most lethal force in the NBA at the time. His game IQ was well above average, allowing him to make decisions that were ultimately crucial to the team’s victory. His outstanding rebounding sparked a Celtic fast break that swamped the entirety of the National basketball association. His explosiveness and inexplicable capacity to block shots morphed the centre position, which was once reserved for slow and lumbering types, and forever altered the face of professional basketball. Here are the top 10 little-known facts about Bill Russell.

1. Russell struggled with racism growing up

Russell was born to Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana, on February 12, 1934. Monroe was intensely segregated at the time, much like the majority of Southern towns and cities, and the Russell family frequently faced racism in their everyday life. His family experienced racism repeatedly to the point where his father was threatened. His father was once threatened with a gun when he left a store to look for another where the service was a little faster. 

2. He lived in housing projects during most of his childhood

Bill Russell during his time at the USF photo Sourced from Wikimedia commons

Charles Russell, Bill’s father, decided to leave Louisiana and travel to California. He landed in Oakland and hoped to find work to provide for the family due to the racial abuse and lack of job options in Monroe. Things in Oakland did not turn out as well as they had hoped, and the family was forced to live in public housing projects for a significant portion of Bill’s upbringing due to their extreme poverty.

3. Russell was cut from the team during his junior high time

Russell was a good runner and jumper with large hands but he generally struggled to develop his skills in basketball. His knowledge of the basketball game was limited to zero and this contributed to his being dropped by his team during his time at Herbert Hoover Junior High School. He almost underwent the same ordeal during his freshman year at Oakland’s McClymonds High School.

His coach at the High school words fueled him to work on his basketball skills and enhance the fundamentals to play the game. His dedication and zeal ensured that he developed into becoming a better version of himself from previous years and this encouraged him to pursue basketball professionally.

4. He scouted opponents’ moves by reading a magazine to defend against them

Professional basketball player Bill Russell’s photo sourced from Wikimedia Commons

Russel style of play during his time in the NBA displayed a centre who had vast knowledge of defending against the opposing team. This was expected considering that Russell was a voracious reader of the sports magazines published by Dell Magazines in the 1950s and used them to research opponents’ strategies to counter them. He became fixated on learning player moves during his high school years, which he then used to counter them. He would practice his moves in front of a mirror to hone them.

5. Russell almost didn’t get recruited to college

Russell was saved from missing out on college recruitment by an offer from recruiter Hal DeJulio from the University of San Francisco (USF), which came after he had been passed over by the majority of college recruiters and had received no offers to play.

Despite not being pleased with Russell’s skills at the time of the offer, DeJulio recognized the potential young Russell possessed and believed that was the beginning of something special. Russell had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he made the most of it by going on to become the starting centre of the San Francisco Dons.

Read more: 60 Best College Basketball Players of all times.

6. Russell was multi-talented

Russell excelled in the 440-yard sprint, which he could finish in 49.6 seconds, as well as the high jump, where he represented the University of San Francisco. Russell adopted the straddle technique in the high jump and as a result, although not appearing in the Olympic high-jump competition, he was ranked as the seventh-best high jumper in the world in 1956, the year of his graduation.

Russell won medals in the high jump in the West Coast Relays, the Pacific AAU meet, and the Central California Amateur Athletic Union competitions in 1956.

7. He turned down an offer to play for Harlem Globetrotters because of racial prejudice

Photo of Soupy Sales and the Harlem Globetrotters from a 1969 television special photo by CBS Television – Wikimedia commons

Russell had grown up through difficult seasons of racial prejudice, so he didn’t even assume any display of it. This was evident when he was invited to play for The Harlem Globetrotters. Russell was irritated that the owner could only speak with coach Woolpert and not with him because of his race. He declined the invitation and declared his eligibility for the NBA draft in 1956.

Find out: Top 10 Facts about Wilt Chamberlain.

8. Russell led the 1956 U.S. men’s Olympic basketball team to win gold  

Russell starred as the team’s captain as they competed in the Olympic basketball competition in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956. Russell assisted the U.S. national basketball team, coached by Gerald Tucker, in winning the gold medal in Melbourne by leading an 8-0 unbeaten run in the decisive game against the Soviet Union. With an average victory margin of 53.5 points per game, the United States dominated the competition. Russell was the team’s top scorer, averaging 14.1 points per game.

9. He is the first back-to-back winner of the NCAA and NBA championships

Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell during a basketball game photo by New York World- Wikimedia commons

Russell became the first of just four players in basketball history to win back-to-back NCAA and NBA titles by helping the USF win the 1956 NCAA championship and the 1957 NBA title. With a run of 55 straight victories under his belt and an unofficial double-triple-double of 26 points, 27 rebounds, 20 blocks, 3 steals, and an assist, he led USF to NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956.

He guided the Celtics to their first NBA Finals appearance in 1957, where they faced the St. Louis Hawks after sweeping the Nationals in three games. The Celtics triumphed, winning their first NBA title.

10. He led the Celtics to win 11 NBA championships

Boston Celtics centre Bill Russell next to head coach Red Auerbach after winning the 1966 NBA Finals. photo by Fred Keenan – Wikimedia commons

Russell played for the Boston Celtics in the National Basketball Association as a centre for 13 years from 1956. He was pivotal in the Celtics’ dominance by winning 11 NBA championships, five Most Valuable Player awards, and earning selection to the NBA Al-Star 12 times. He holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league alongside Henri Richard of the National Hockey League.

Check out: Top 10 facts about Boston Celtics.