Russell's book on leadership was brilliant. He said it was all about getting inside opponent's heads. He said an opponent once missed a layup because he was looking for Russell. But Russell wasn't even on the court - he was on the bench! Incredible!
I was a little too young to see Russ at his peak. Honestly, my earliest memory is of my dad letting me stay up to see game 7 in '69. But I'm kind of a sports history buff and once I began reading about what Bill accomplished (2 NCAA, Olympic Gold, zillion NBA championships, etc.) I read and watched whatever I could on the man. Wherever he went, excellence followed (except his later coaching stints). The ultimate winner!
NBA players mentalities changed. When Russell went to Sacramento his Team Ownership thought just having Russell on board guaranteed winning. He didn't get the help he needed. Players' salaries were skyrocketing and big endorsement deals were the in thing. Player's cared much more about their image and money than winning. Same today
The lovely thing is that his blocks seems to always go towards a teammate. When you think about it, this is a tremendous added value because you set-up your team for an efficient fast break, while you save your team some annoying points on inbound passes that renders your previous block useless. Those little things are what separates great defenders from legendary ones, and ultimately, make you win 11 NBA championships. Managing to slow down the greatest individual menace in the history of the game just enough to consistently beat his team in the playoffs is not a proof of Russell being overrated. Every other team tried this any given day, but most of the time, it failed catastrophically.
Tn Yamaneko much better than Dwight Howard who always wants to sway it ten rows deep. All you’re doing is giving the ball back to the other team. Russell, Hakeem and Mourning were artists in keeping the ball in play.
Exactly. He almost always was able to block the ball to a teammate, which usually led to a fast break basket. He could turn defense into offense in a nanosecond.
Not entirely true - Bill DID grab some blocked shots himself to start fast breaks with (do those count as rebounds? I don't think so, but what if they DID?). Very different from Wilt, who had a tendency to swat them 50 feet out of bounds in a more spectacular but LESS EFFECTIVE way much of the time.
Swatting 50 feet into the crowd can also be seen as intimidating. Let alone entertaining since this is entertainment. Now for Wilt, far too many times he would catch people shots very high up. And start fast breaks or give it to the nearest teammate. When you are incredible strong it can be hard to swat it lightly
Some Guy Players in his time were just as physically athletic as those of today. They may not have been as spectacular, but their speed, coordination, leaping ability and game savvy were every bit as good as- and in the latter category, better than- stars of the present era.
I am so thankful that I was able to experience that great rivalry, even though it was near the end when I was old enough to understand it. Two of the very greatest of all time. I was admittedly more of a Bill Russell fan, but damn I loved Will too. Fortunately I was a kid in the South, so I was able to keep my fan goggles out if the mix for the most part.
By the time Bill Russell was a junior at USF, he had figured "winning" out. That year USF went 28-1 and won the NCAA title and then led USF to a 29-0 record and another NCAA title. If that wasn't enough, Russell was the center piece of a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 chips in 13 years. Yes, the 6'11" (shoes on like all rookies were measured from '73 on) Bill Russell was the greatest winner the basketball world has ever seen. 👏🔥
@@polpol1005 Wilts PPG dropped in 8/8 series he played against Bill Russell, 6/8 his efficiency dropped and he lost 7/8, even though his team had the better record than Russell’s 4/8 times
"yes "we" did that too u and yes u come back "we" will do it again" russell had no concept of what an individual was that is why he is the greatest winner of all time
Blocks and Glocks Russell Lol. Kind of funny he was arrested for packing heat at age 80 but what a terrific combination of smarts, athleticism, and competitiveness.
Few people realize how great an athlete Bill was. At 6'10", he ran the 440 and the 880 on the track team and was the #7 rated high jumper in the world. It was incredible to see him chase down the very fast Jerry West from behind and block his layup. I'll never forget the expression on West's face: "where the hell did he come from?"
His ability to know how to make his team as a whole better put Russell on a whole other level of basketball. You can have players who were amazing scorers or passers and put up amazing numbers, but in the end, it's all about the win. It's like how in chess, you can capture all the pieces you want, but the winner is the guy who gets the king. And Bill did put up pretty astonishing numbers, averaging 22.5 rebounds a game for his career.
1:08 to 1:20 Like a Panther Waiting For Its Pray and Then Does Not Attack But Leads His Pray To Fail Without Commiting a Foul! Unreal Defense! The GOAT Defensive Player!
To the know-nothing that said Russell wasn't that good on offense. Stay in school. Russell enjoyed blocking shots and intimidating the other team. He scored when he had to. For example, 1962 finals at LA. Russell scored 30 pts and grabbed 40 rebounds. I saw him play and he had a beautiful hook shot and was the best I have ever seen at grabbing a rebound and getting the outlet pass to his breaking guard while still in the air. He was simply awesome and fast as a gazelle at 6'10"
“I’ve played games in my peak where I had six shots but I close out the whole front court. The way I play, my team wins.” “Basketball is a team game it’s not for individual honors. I won two championships in high school, I won 2 NCAA championships in college, an NBA championship my rookie year, an NBA championship my final year, and nine nba championships in between. Now that.... is etched in stone.”
Have you scheduled your lobotomy? I saw Russell play all 3 years at USF and for the Celtics and he was easily the greatest defender in history. His athletic skills were exceptional. In track and field he ran the 440 and 880. He was the #7 rated high jumper in the world and just missed making the Olympic team. He and Wilt were best friends and often had holiday meals together but he was always able to frustrate Wilt on the court. Smartest player I have ever seen. Made his teammates better.
Bill didn't "make the Olympic team" in the High Jump because he was able to go in Basketball after having a dispute about his amateur status in Basketball resolved in his favor. Had he LOST that dispute, he WOULD have been on the High Jump team - that had already been decided.
Playoffs Wilt was the better player in the regular season, whereas Russell flourished in the playoffs. Bill won 29-20 head to head in playoffs, 87-57 regular season. Wilt was non-existent in clutch or key situations, whereas Russell thrived in the intense situations. Wilt averaged 50 points a game in the 1961-62 season, that same season Russell was named the league's Most Valuable Player. During that season, Wilt ave only 28 vs. Bill despite his enormous number of shot attempts. Wilt was all about the stats, and many points or rebounds he got. Russell was simply obsessed with winning and winning titles. Chamberlain only cared what critics thought of him. Russell only cared what his teammates though of him. Wilt won two NBA titles. Russell won 11.
@@gdm49 STOP LYING and check your information, please. Wilt always shot a good fg% against Bill, whereas it was Bill who was embarrassed to bad fg% against wilt. Wilt outrebounded him as well. Is it too hard to check things before you repeat or believe in fake narratives? Wilt outplayed Bill all the time they played together. Apparently he couldn't outplay Sam Jones, John Havlicek and KC Jones. That's "Bill's" outplaying of Wilt there.
Bill Russell changed the game He revolutionized the art of Team defense Which is why he was able to win championships He wasn’t as focused on personal stats as he was about wins and losses
People discredit Wilt’s numbers and Russell’s titles, but nobody from their era where winning or performing as well as those two (other than Oscar, Jerry, Elgin, etc).
@@maceomillions2192 Lakers went to the Finals *almost* as many times in the 1960s - only to lose EVERY TIME to the Celtics. Jerry West STILL has nightmares over those years - Elgin doesn't any more, RIP.
@jdlund it's not baseless since teams back then basically played a run and gun style, putting up more shots than at any point in nba history, teams relied on the inside game because nobody had a decent jumpshot (perimeter players averaged below and just about 40% on their fg attempts) and most players back then weren't as athletic as russell. boston sports writers did keep occasional stats on blocks, and some of them claim there were stretches when he averaged between 10 and 15 blocks a game.
Pretty Genius how he approached it really. He really was the glue. Because you have the guys that can shoot, the guys that can score in the paint. And when the team system is kick it out to whoever is open the shooting percentage is higher. So on offense you are set. And then on defense he just comes in and blocks everything and gets it to the open man and keeps them guessing. So he is sort of like the general....he doesn't have to be the big scorer. Just the one keeping tabs on where everyone is and making sure that ball doesn't get through the paint.
bill russell is truly awesome he is the greatest winner in nba history and he turned the celtics around when he first arrived there and won their first title starting the greatest dynasty after the george mikan lakers squad also russell is the first black head coach ever in the nba so he did alot for basketball along with other legends
Yep great shit, also Duncan in there would be awesome (Duncan vs shaq was a great duel and yeah they guard each other and both put big numbers) Bill was undersize againts wilt in his prime and hold him to 23 in a game 7
Hakeem may be Russell's strongest competition on the defensive end, though Wilt was probably 3'd - he was so "offensive" rep folks overlooked HIS defensive ability.
You make some good points. Also the lane was much smaller at the beginning of his career. But he was a great player who dominated his era, which is all you can ask. Had he trained for today's game he likely would be just as great.
If Bill Russell played today, he would be a combination of Tim Duncan (sound fundamentals), Steve Nash (makes all his teammates better) and Ben Wallace (ferocious defense) all roled into one. Maybe he'd play the 4-spot, but he'd dominate even today. And still pile on rings.
So, for years I've been saying Michael Jordan is the GOAT. And I have had reasons to back that up. And if you're having that conversation, certainly MJ has to be part of it. However, in almost every other field, I've grown to think that there is no such thing as a GOAT. Somewhat in keeping with Kareem's interview on the subject, but also in reference to my own thoughts on who is the greatest this or the greatest that of all time, I am convinced that the question itself is flawed. How exactly does one compare players from different eras? How do you factor in the development of the game itself? Nah. Kareem is right. Ranking players from 1-10 or whatever is meaningless. The more important and intelligent question is "how did this player affect the game in general, how did they affect individual games, and how did they affect the other people they played with?" So there can be a list of the game's greatest players, but in that respect, it is impossible to make an absolute ranking of all of them. And also in that respect, we have to consider Bill Russell to have had the same type of effect as MJ; that he changed the way the game was played. And I can give him no higher praise than that.
Jordan is like Curry in one sense that he had rules changed to the detriment of the game to benefit him.. Jordan carry the game to unprecedented heights, the marketing...the literal perfect combination of looks, style, intelligent conversation, great with the media, and it's like he was sculptured out to be the perfect template..but Curry and LeBron are responsible for the degradation and decline of the game, whereas Bird/Magic snd Jordan are responsible for the worldwide appeal it has...but as far as aesthetics, Jordan was the peak and also the decline and LeBron and his stinking butt and Curry and james hardon just euro stepping, fake dynasty building, chinese bending, BLM kneeling jerks..I quit watching five years ago
Wilt had that 50 inch vertical, and Russell was the 7th ranked highjumper nationally at age 18. That is crazy, absolutely insane. Those 2 are/were absolutely AMAZING centers and would dominate in any era.
Wilt probably did NOT have a 50 inch vertical - but the consensus is that he DID have at least a 44 and possibly as high as a 46. STILL bloody impressive.
Possibly the best ever. Had 11 championship rings and was truly admiring to watch. That's what basketball is all about as well as any other sport, simply to win the championship and beat the toughest teams. Well he did it the most in NBA history. I myself like Jordan, But Russell is second to none.
That why, even back then, it was called the Most VALUABLE Player award, not the Scoring Title or Most Statistically Dominant Award. Russell deserved every MVP award he got and then some.
Bill's prime is a MVP record that has never been matched since. In an 8 year period, he WON 5 times, was RUNNER UP twice (both times to Wilt) and was 3'd ONCE (to Oscar and Wilt). The ONLY player that is even close to that was Larry Bird - 3 wins, 4 runner ups, and one 3'd in HIS best 8 year period (then Larry lost most of a season to double heel surgery). Bill Larry and Wilt are STILL the only 3-peat MVP winners.
Everyone thinks the best player of "their era" was the best. Game was different in those eras. Rules were different, games were called differently. All were great. Russell was clearly the best defender of his time, and one of the top interior defenders of all time. He didn't actually shoot that well, only 44% which is very low for a post player. He also had 4.3 APG, very high for a post player. Thanks for posting the video.
Thank you. Russell to me is what Basketball is all about. Jordan had to "learn" how to win. Bill Russell "taught" players how to win. The Greatest player and winner of all time. 21-0 in "winner take all" games
I've been watching basketball for over 60 years and there's no doubt in my mind that Bill Russell is the greatest player of all-time! Parse that as you will, but who in the history of the sport was the central figure on 2 consecutive NCAA titles, an Olympics gold medal team, and 11 NBA championships in a 13 year career (and of those years he was injured)? I've read comments saying, "Well, Russell played with all those Hall of Famers, so..." But how did they all end up in the HOF in the first place? Russ made everyone he played with better and didn't care if he scored a point if the Celtics won the game. He was my hero as a kid and now that I'm 69, still is. It's a shame that the NBA had to languish in relative obscurity as a sport until the dawn of the 80's--it does a terrible job of promoting its history and its great players. There exists precious little film footage of even championship games before the 70's and today's basketball enthusiasts have no clue the impact #6 had on every single game he played. He is truly, as NBA poet Tom Meschery described him, "The Eagle With a Beard!"
I've been a fan for a minute and i hope one day they write a book about how eras are formed. It's actually years of bad drafting mistakes and misjudging talent that shaped our league. Guys that could jump were drafted high year after year. They were drafted to be franchise players, but in reality they were gonna be players fighting for playing time. Over time, the stars didn't change too much, but the lesser players started to fill in and become more athletic. It's true, today's league is more athletic. But it's not just about talent. It's how you can translate it to success. Could bill play in today's league? Yes, because it's what happens inside the mind that's most important. The fact that bill didn't compete with Wilt in a direct contest, or he chose to make defensive plays only in critical times, made him smart. And he won consistently. There are so many qualities that make a professional player. Athletics is just one of those qualities. The greats could play in ANY era at ANY time. Great players will always intimidate average players no matter how athletic these mediocre players are.
What makes Russell so great is that he was able to win 2 NCAA championships in college, come into the NBA and win 11 championships in 13 seasons with the Celtics (he coached two of those years after Red stepped down). He also won an Olympic medal. Plus, he seems to show so much respect for others and the game. This guy was a beast! Who else has won 11 NBA championships besides his teammates that he played with to when he won them?
Sam Jones is #2 on the all-time NBA Player "most championships" list, NOBODY is ahead of Bill. Others HAVE won 10+ NBA championships - *IF* you combine player AND coach championships. Phil Jackson comes immediately to mind, Tom Heinsohm, Pat Riley, and KC Jones.
Listen to him describing the psychology of shot blocking, all the intricacies and careful thought process behind it to get into opposing players' heads. Then look at how everybody else tries to do it -- mindlessly knock it into the 3rd row to "intimidate" the shooter. Every time that happens, somewhere Russell is rolling his eyes, saying, you just gave the ball back to the other team, you pinhead! Then notice how often even in these brief highlights he blocks the shot softly so that the ball comes right back down to him. That is not an accident. Many a Celtic fastbreak was ignited this way: Swat, grab ball, outlet pass, all in about 1.5 seconds. Russell was often so nervous before games that he would vomit. It was so common that Auerbach would worry if he didn't. Russell was beyond brilliant -- he was psychotic. He was part tortured artist, part mad scientist. RIP, Russ...
Oscar IMO is the only serious competitor to Larry Bird for "most rounded player" - and they're close enough I'm not going to get upset if some folks put Oscar first.
Jerry West was an excellent defender, ballhandler and clutch shooter. What does AI have? handles? He can dribble all day if he wants. Everywhere AI goes u can be sure that team will have zero chance of winning a championship. Practice? Forget about it. This from a guy who can't shoot a lick (42%).
Russell won 11 titles in 13 years, a record unmatched by any player in any sport. He beat Chamberlain like a drum. You guys who say Wilt was better never saw them play. I saw Russell play every home game at USF where he won 2 NCAA titles with only one other decent player on the team. I also saw Wilt play dozens of home games for the Warriors. Wilt was the greatest offensive player of all time. Russell was the greatest player -- period. MJ was the most exciting player.
@walker834 I totally agree with you.I mean the guy deflects almost every block towards one of his teammates to start the fast break, he was the ultimate intimidator just because of his actions, not because he talked shit like players today. He was the ultimate team mate, a perfect model for the kind of team mate you'd want on any team in any sport. He put the team and winning first and his stats second. Bill Russell is the greatest basketball player ever and possibly the greatest athlete ever.
Bill Russell is THE best defender ever, and it isnt close. Many reports say he averaged 6-8blks per game in his career. Not only that, he was an overwhelming presence. On top of that, he has the most DWS(defensive win shares) of all time BY FAR, and by far is an understatement.
Bill Russel revolutionized the game. It's not about physical abilities or stats or whatever. It is what he have brought to game. Would players of today play with the same sophistication if there is no Bill Russell? No. What Russel did was like what the inventor of telephones did in the times where people were still using telegrams. It was something normal people could not imagine or think of. Normal players learn the game, and improve themselves, great players change the way the game is played.
and its no coincidence that the best defensive player is also the winningest. which makes me believe that russell is the best player period.. cuz at the end of the day, its all about winning.
I think Russell missed a game in 58, if I'm not mistaken which helped the Hawks. Wilt did win in 67, but it should be noted that Russell was the coach as well. I think Wilt showed Russell too much respect over the course of their careers, they would even go to dinner after games where Wilt lost. I think other NBA greats would be mad and not do this. Were friends until '69 Finals when Russell made that comment about Wilt's injury. They should've beaten Boston in 69 plain & simple.
Back to back NCAA titles...a Gold Medal at the 1956 Olympics....AND NBA titles in 1957...1959..1960...1961...1962...1963..1964.. 1965...1966...1968....AND..1969!!! Greatest winner in the history of sports...'Nuff said!!
Might also mention that the Dons with Russell set the all-time Division I wins in a row record (then extended it 6 more games after Russell left) - a record that was ONLY beaten once, by the "Walton Gang" of UCLA.
Bill Russell won 11 championships in 13 years..back to back NCAA titles..and a gold medal as captain of the Olympic basketball team...he's the greatest winner in the history of sports!!!
Draft Class of 1956 - "The Class of the Rings". Bill with 11 KC and Tom with 8 each. Then poor Willy with "only" 3. Total of 30. That's NOT counting the COACH rings (2 each for Bill Tom AND KC). Then consider that Elgin Baylor was ORIGINALLY drafted by the Lakers as the last pick in the 1956 draft (but had been drafted by the Army, so the Lakers had to REDRAFT him in 1958).
In the 1961-62 season Chamberlain, Russell, Pettit, Bellamy, and Baylor all averaged at least 19 rpg. That's already five guys in a nine team league, and that doesn't even include all the other players who were getting at least 10 rpg distributed among them.
Then a couple years later along comes Nate Thurmond - the ONLY player not named "Bill" or "Wilt" to crack the Top 20 all time RPG for a season list. Jerry Lucas showed up close to that same timeframe, not exactly a slouch at rebounding either.
For his time, his FG% was fine, though. Elgin Baylor scored 38 PPG on 43% shooting. Offense just involved a higher volume of shots (another reason why, if blocks were recorded, Russell's numbers would be through the roof). The '63 Champion Celtics had 8770 FG attempts in 80 games; last year's Champion Celtics had only 6300 in 82 games. Different game back then.
I'm 68 years old, and I was a diehard Philadelphia Warriors fan. But, Bill Russell was the best defensive player of all time, and no one else was even close. What Bob Pettit, one of the best NBA players of all time said in this film was true. They had to think about Bill Russell any time they drove to the basket, he usually always led in rebounds and assists also. Even though, not the most prolific scorer, I say he was equal to Chamberlain, if not slightly better.
Bill rarely led in rebounds, but he was usually a VERY CLOSE #2 to Wilt during the regular season and he DID lead during the playoffs (with Wilt a close #2 there). BOTH would be effective today, and either one would eat any center playing today for LUNCH without needing salt.
Defense is like a fight. You learn how to do it. When you know how to do it, you pick your fight, you pick the right time. You do it to win. If you can't win it on your own, you pick your friends, make a plan then go out and win it. That is how to play defense. Be smart.
Bill Russell had talent and skill,look how he block the ball .. for example look what he did with jerry west in 1:26 !! that was amazing no one can do that ..
@Flipper79able I give you credit for trying to deal with this guy...it's hard to comprehend how anyone especially basketball fans could say this guy was overrated...his genius for the game and life is so rare compared to all the other greatest players...Magic, Bird, Jordan, Wilt, West, Big O, Kareem were all genius's but they all have more respect for what Russell did and envy him more than anyone who ever played because the best of the best all want one thing.....to win
