New York, July 31, 2022 – He died at the age of 88 Bill Russellthe most successful player in the history of basket Nba. Legend of the Boston Celtics with whom he played in the top American professional league for his entire career. He won the title 11 times (8 consecutive) in thirteen seasons played between 1956 and 1969, 5 times the MVP prize and 12 times it was called up for the All Star Game. In 1975 he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and in 2021 as a coach.
Bill Russell’s career
In his 13 seasons as a player in Boston between 1956 and 1969, Russell led the Celtics to 12 title finals. The only defeat came in 1958 against the St. Louis Hawks: with the series at 2-2, Russell was injured and missed the last 2 games, which
Boston lost by a total of 3 points.
Russell wrote the history of basketball by revolutionizing the role of the centerin the era marked by rivalry with Wilt Chamberlain, and dominating the game as an exceptional defender that he was. He finished his career with 21,620 rebounds, over 22 per game, reaching 51 in a single game. As a corollary, 15.1 points and 4.3 assists on average.
Russell was an epochal figure off the pitch as well. His commitment to i civil rights, since the 1960s, it has been constant and has accompanied the development of the entire career. Once, in 1961, when the Celtics had to play a game against the St. Louis Hawks in Lexington, Kentucky, he and other African American teammates were refused service in a coffee shop. In protest, the team left the city without playing. Russell also used to not sign autographs because, he claimed,
he would have shown acquiescence to the white establishment of the time which did not allow African Americans to advance in areas other than sport.
In 2011, former President Barack Obama honored Russell by presenting him with the Medal of Freedom.