Bill Russell

** Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame in 1974.**

William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star, the 6 ft 9 in Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens, Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association championships (1955, 1956). He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team.

Russell is widely considered one of the best defensive players in NBA history. His shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' success, and he inspired other players to elevate their own defensive play. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities. He led the NBA in rebounds four times and tallied 21,620 total rebounds in his career. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed over fifty rebounds in a single game. Though never the focal point of the Celtics' offense, Russell also scored 14,522 career points and provided effective passing.

Playing in the wake of pioneers like Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Ray Felix, Russell was the first African American player to achieve superstar status in the NBA. He also served a three-year (1966–69) stint as player-coach for the Celtics, thus becoming the first African American coach in any major American professional sports league. However, Russell frequently battled with racism. Many sports fans in Boston shunned the Celtics during Russell's tenure with the team, and Russell received little support from the local press. When he retired, Russell left Boston with a bitter attitude, although in recent years his relationship with the city has improved.

Russell is now a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. In 2007, he was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Early years
Bill Russell was born to Charles and Katie Russell in Monroe, Louisiana, where his family often struggled with racism. In one particular instance, Russell's father was denied service at a gasoline station until the staff had taken care of all the white customers. When his father attempted to leave and find a different station, the attendant stuck a shotgun in his face, threatening to kill him unless he stayed and waited his turn. In another instance, Russell's mother was walking down a street in a fancy dress when the local sheriff accosted her. He told her to go home and remove the dress, which he described as "white woman’s clothing". Due to this racism Russell's father moved the family out of Louisiana when Russell was eight years old and settled them in Oakland, California. While there the family fell into poverty, and Russell spent his childhood living in a series of project homes.

In his early years, Russell struggled to develop his skills as a basketball player. In junior high school, he was cut from his team, and as a sophomore at McClymonds High School he had barely made the junior varsity team. It was not until his junior and senior years that he began to excel as a player.


College career
The only college to offer Russell a sports scholarship was the local University of San Francisco (USF), where Russell played under coach Phil Woolpert. In 1954, Woolpert became the first coach of a major amateur basketball squad to start three African-American players: Hal Perry, K.C. Jones and Russell. Unfortunately, Russell and his African American teammates became targets of racist jeers, both at USF and on the road. In one notable incident, hotels in Oklahoma City refused to admit Russell and his black teammates while they were in town for the 1954 All-College Tournament. In protest, the whole team decided to camp out in a closed college dorm, which they later considered an important bonding experience. Decades later, Russell explained that his experiences hardened him against abuse of all kinds. "I never permitted myself to be a victim," he said.

On the hardwood, his experiences were far more pleasant. Russell led USF to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, including an impressive string of 55 consecutive victories. He became famous for his strong defense and his shot-blocking skills, once denying 13 shots in a single game. UCLA coach John Wooden called Russell "the greatest defensive man I've ever seen". During his college career, Russell averaged 20.7 points per game and 20.3 rebounds per game. He was so dominant that he forced the NCAA to institute several rules changes in college basketball, which came to be known as "Russell's Rules". After the 1955 season, the lane was widened from six to twelve feet. This rule change forced centers to play further from the basket. Another NCAA rule that emerged in response to Russell (and fellow dominant center Wilt Chamberlain) was that offensive goaltending became illegal.

Besides basketball, Russell represented USF in track and field events. Russell competed in the 440 yard (402 m) race, which he could complete in 49.6 seconds. He also participated in the high jump; Track & Field News ranked him as the seventh-best high jumper in the world in 1956. That year, Russell won high jump titles at the Central California AAU meet, the Pacific AAU meet, and the West Coast Relays. One of his best jumps occurred at the West Coast Relays, where he achieved a mark of 6 feet 9¼ inches (2.06 m).

After his years at USF, the Harlem Globetrotters invited Russell to join their legendary basketball squad. However, since owner Abe Saperstein would only discuss the matter with Russell's coach, Russell declined the offer. He reasoned that if Saperstein was too smart to speak with him, then he was too smart to play for Saperstein. Instead, Russell made himself eligible for the 1956 NBA Draft.


1956 NBA Draft
In the 1956 NBA Draft, Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach had set his sights on Russell, thinking his defensive toughness and rebounding prowess was the missing link the Celtics needed. In perspective, Auerbach’s thoughts were unorthodox. In that period, centers and forwards were defined by their offensive output, and the ability to play defense was secondary. However, the chances of getting Russell seemed slim. Because the Celtics had finished second in the previous season and the worst teams had the highest draft picks, the Celtics had slipped too low in the draft order to pick Russell. In addition, Auerbach had already used his territorial pick to acquire talented forward Tom Heinsohn. But Auerbach knew that the Rochester Royals, who owned the first draft pick, already had a talented young rebounder in Maurice Stokes and were unwilling to pay Russell the $25,000 signing bonus he requested. The St. Louis Hawks, who owned the second pick, originally drafted Russell, but were vying for Celtics center Ed Macauley, a six-time All-Star who had roots in St. Louis. Auerbach agreed to trade Macauley if they gave up Russell, and after the Celtics also agreed to give up rookie Cliff Hagan, the Hawks made the trade. During that same draft, Boston also claimed guard K.C. Jones, Russell's former USF teammate. Thus, in one night, the Celtics managed to draft three future Hall-of-Fame players (and, in time, three NBA championship winning coaches): Russell, K.C. Jones and Heinsohn.


1956 Olympics
Before his NBA rookie year, Russell was the captain of the U.S. national basketball team that competed at the 1956 Olympic tournament. Russell had the option to skip the tournament and play a full season for the Celtics, but he was determined to play in the Olympics. He later commented that he would have participated in the high jump if he had been snubbed by the basketball team. Under coach Gerald Tucker, Russell helped the national team win the gold medal in Melbourne, defeating the Soviet Union 89–55 in the final game. The United States dominated the tournament, winning by an average of 53.5 points per game. Russell led the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game for the competition. His Celtics teammate K.C. Jones joined him on the Olympic squad and contributed 10.9 points per game.


Professional career

1956–59
Russell could not join the Celtics for the 1956-57 NBA season until December, due to his Olympic commitment. After rejoining the Celtics, Russell played 48 games, averaging 14.7 points per game and a league-high 19.6 rebounds per game. During this season, the Celtics featured six-future Hall of Famers: center Bill Russell, forwards Tom Heinsohn and Jim Loscutoff, guards Bill Sharman and Bob Cousy, and forward Frank Ramsey, who came off the bench. (K.C. Jones did not play for the Celtics until 1958 because of military service.)

In previous years, the Celtics had been a high-scoring team, but lacked the defensive presence needed to close out tight games. However, with the added defensive presence of Russell, the Celtics had laid the foundation for one of the most impressive sports dynasties of all time. The team utilized a strong defensive approach to the game, forcing opposing teams to commit many turnovers that would ultimately lead to easy fast break points. This approach allowed the Celtics to finish with an impressive 44–28 regular season record, their second-best record since inception in the 1946–47 BAA season, and guaranteed a post-season playoff appearance.

In Game 1 of the first round, the Celtics met the Syracuse Nationals, who were led by future Hall-of-Famer Dolph Schayes. It was here that Russell completed one of the best games of his career. He finished with 16 points and 31 rebounds, along with a reported 7 blocks. (At the time, blocks were not yet an officially registered statistic.) After the Celtics' convincing victory (108–89), Schayes quipped, “How much does that guy make a year? It would be to our advantage if we paid him off for five years to get away from us in the rest of this series.” The Celtics swept the Nationals in three games and eventually earned an appearance in the NBA Finals.

In the NBA Finals, the Celtics met the St. Louis Hawks, who were led by superstar forward Bob Pettit and former Celtic Macauley. The teams split the first six games, leading to a deciding Game 7. It was during this game that Russell completed the famous “Coleman Play.” Here, Russell ran down Hawks guard Jack Coleman, who had received an outlet pass at midcourt, and blocked his shot despite the fact that Russell had been standing at his own baseline when the ball was thrown to Coleman. The block preserved the slim 103–102 lead with 40-odd seconds left to play, saving the game for the Celtics. The game would eventually lead into double overtime, where the Celtics prevailed 125-123, earning their first NBA Championship.

In the 1957-58 NBA season, Russell averaged 16.6 points per game and a league-record average of 22.7 rebounds per game. An interesting phenomenon began that year: Russell was voted the NBA Most Valuable Player, but, strangely, only named to the All-NBA Second Team. This would repeatedly occur throughout his career. The NBA reasoned that other centers were better all-round players than Russell, but no player had meant more to his team.

For the second straight year, the Celtics had the NBA's best record, breezed through the Eastern Division finals, and met the Hawks in the 1958 NBA Finals. After splitting the first two games, Russell injured his ankle in Game 3. Powered by a frontcourt of Macauley and Pettit, the Hawks and their coach Alex Hannum won the NBA title in six games.

In the following 1958-59 NBA season, Russell continued his strong play, averaging 16.7 points per game and 23.0 rebounds per game. He began one of the most impressive rebounding performances of all time, never failing to average less than 23 rebounds for the next seven years. The Celtics broke the league record by winning 52 games, and Russell's strong performance once again helped lead the Celtics through the post-season, and eventually, into the NBA Finals. In the 1959 NBA Finals, the Celtics easily recaptured the NBA Title, sweeping the Minneapolis Lakers 4–0. Lakers Head Coach John Kundla, praised Russell, stating, “We don’t fear the Celtics without Bill Russell. Take him out and we can beat them… He’s the guy who whipped us psychologically.”


1959–66
In the 1959-60 NBA season, the NBA witnessed the debut of legendary 7 ft 1 in Philadelphia Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain, who still holds numerous individual single-game and full-season records, including record-setting 100-point and 55-rebound-games and an incredible 50.4 ppg regular-season scoring average (1961–62)—marks which no one has approached since. The matchup between Russell and Chamberlain, the greatest defensive and the greatest offensive pivots in the NBA, became one of basketball's legendary rivalries. In that season, Russell's Celtics won a record 59 regular season games (including a then-record tying 17 game win streak) and met Chamberlain's Warriors in the Eastern Division Finals. Chamberlain outscored Russell by 81 points, but the Celtics walked off with a 4–2 series win. Years later, the Russell-Chamberlain rivalry became the subject of the 2005 book The Rivalry by sports journalist John Taylor. In the 1960 Finals, the Celtics outlasted the Hawks 4–3 and won yet another championship. Russell grabbed an incredible 40 rebounds in Game 2, and he added 22 points and 35 rebounds in the deciding Game 7, a 122–103 victory for Boston.

In the 1960-61 NBA season, Russell completed another fine year, averaging 16.9 points and 23.9 rebounds per game. His team completed the season by posting a regular season mark of 57-22, earning another post-season appearance, where they defeated the Syracuse Nationals 4–1 in the Eastern Division Finals. Ultimately, they went on to defeat the St. Louis Hawks 4–1 in the 1961 NBA Finals.

In the following 1961-62 NBA season, Russell scored a career-high 18.9 points per game, accompanied by 23.6 rebounds per game. While his rival Chamberlain had a record-breaking season of 50.4 points per game and a legendary 100 point game, the Celtics became the first team to win 60 games in a season, and Russell was voted as the NBA's Most Valuable Player. In the post-season, the Celtics captured their fourth title at the 1962 NBA Finals by defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in a deciding Game 7. There, Russell added a clutch performance at the offensive end, scoring 30 points.

The Celtics lost playmaker Bob Cousy to retirement after the 1962-63 NBA season, but they drafted another legendary player, future Hall-of-Famer John Havlicek. Once again, the Celtics were powered by an inspired Russell, who averaged 16.8 points and 23.6 rebounds per game, won his fourth regular-season MVP title, and earned MVP honors at the 1963 NBA All-Star Game following his 19 point, 24 rebound performance for the East. The Celtics reached the 1963 NBA Finals, where they faced the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers and the Celtics split the first six games, but in Game 7, Russell’s clutch play powered the Celtics to victory. He scored 30 points and snared 40 rebounds in a dramatic double-overtime game.

In the following 1963-64 NBA season, the Celtics were again dominant, routing the Cincinnati Royals 4–1 and then winning against Chamberlain's newly-relocated San Francisco Warriors 4–1. It was their seventh title in Russell’s eighth year, and their sixth consecutive, a streak unreached in any U.S. professional sports league. Russell called this Celtics team the best of all time. He scored 15.0 ppg and grabbed a career-high 24.7 rpg, leading the NBA in rebounds for the first time since Wilt Chamberlain had entered the league.

Russell again excelled during the 1964-65 NBA season. The Celtics won a league record 62 games, and Russell averaged 14.1 points and 24.1 rebounds per game, winning his second consecutive rebounding title and his fifth MVP award. In the 1965 NBA Playoffs, the Celtics played the Eastern Division Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, who had recently traded for Wilt Chamberlain. Russell proved he was worthy of his MVP award, holding Chamberlain to a pair of field goals in the first three quarters of Game 3. In Game 5, Russell contributed 28 rebounds, 10 blocks, six steals and seven assists. However, that playoff series ended in a highly dramatic Game 7. Five seconds before the end, the Sixers were trailing 109-110, and Russell turned over the ball. However, when the Sixers’ Hall-of-Fame guard Hal Greer inbounded, John Havlicek stole the ball, causing Celtics commentator Johnny Most to scream the legendary words: “Havlicek stole the ball! It's all over! Johnny Havlicek stole the ball!” After the Division Finals, the Celtics enjoyed an easy NBA Finals series, winning 4–1 against the Los Angeles Lakers of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor.

In the following 1965-66 NBA season, the Celtics won their eighth consecutive title. This time, Russell’s team again beat Chamberlain’s Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 1, proceeding to win the NBA Finals in a dramatic seven-game, 4-3 showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers. During the season, Russell contributed 12.9 points and 22.8 rebounds per game. This was the first time in seven years that he failed to average 23 boards.


1966–69
Before the 1966-67 NBA season, legendary Celtics coach Red Auerbach retired and named Russell as a player-coach. Russell thus became the first African-American head coach in NBA history. The Celtics’ championship streak ended that season at eight, however, as Wilt Chamberlain's Philadelphia 76ers won a record-breaking 68 regular season games and at last overpowered the Celtics. As a side note, the Sixers team was also coached by Alex Hannum. Hannum, who had coached the Hawks championship team of 1958, became the only coach who could interrupt the Celtics stranglehold from 1957–1969.

In Russell's second to last season, the 1967-68 NBA season, his numbers slowly declined, but at age 34, he still tallied 12.5 points per game and an impressive 18.6 rebounds per game (the latter good for the third highest average in the league). In the Eastern Division Finals, the 76ers seemed on the verge of defeating the Celtics once again. After four games, the Celtics were trailing 1-3. However, they rallied to win the next two games, and in Game 7, Russell limited Chamberlain to only two shot attempts in the entire second half. Despite this, the Celtics were leading only 97-95 with 34 seconds left when Russell closed out the game with several consecutive clutch plays. He sank a foul shot, blocked a shot by Sixers player Chet Walker, grabbed a rebound off a miss of Sixers player Hal Greer, and finally passed the ball to teammate Sam Jones, who made the final basket in a 100–96 win. Boston then beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4–2 in the NBA Finals, giving Russell his tenth title in twelve years. For his efforts Russell was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. After losing for the fifth straight time against Russell and his Celtics, Hall-of-Fame Lakers guard Jerry West stated: “If I had a choice of any basketball player in the league, my No.1 choice has to be Bill Russell. Bill Russell never ceases to amaze me.”

Heading into the playoffs during Russell’s last season in 1968–69, the chances seemed slim for another championship. Russell himself put up decent numbers of 9.9 points per game and 19.3 rebounds per game, but the aging Celtics stumbled through the regular season. They finished with a lackluster 48–34 record and entered the playoffs as only the fourth seeded team in the East. In the playoffs, however, Russell and his Celtics achieved one upset after another until meeting the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Though the Celtics faced a heavily favored Lakers team with future Hall of Famers Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and newly-acquired Wilt Chamberlain, Russell's team did split the first six games and seemed to have a realistic chance of winning. In Game 7, they were ahead by nine points with five minutes remaining; in addition, Chamberlain had left the game with an injured leg. The Celtics' fortune changed when the Lakers cut the lead to one and Chamberlain asked to return to the game. Inexplicably, however, Lakers coach Bill van Breda Kolff benched Chamberlain until the end, much to the disgust of Lakers superstar Jerry West. The Celtics won the NBA title, and Russell claimed his eleventh championship in 13 years. At age 35, Russell contributed 21 rebounds in his last NBA game. In the next season, the Celtics went just 34–48 and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1950, illustrating just how valuable Russell was to the team.


Post-player career
Russell had his No. 6 jersey retired by the Celtics in 1972, and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. Russell, who had a difficult relationship with the media, was not present at either event. After retiring as a player, Russell had stints as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics (1973 to 1977) and Sacramento Kings (1987 to 1988). His time as a coach was lackluster; although he led the struggling SuperSonics into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Russell’s defensive, team-oriented Celtics mindset did not mesh well with the team. Ironically, coach Lenny Wilkens would later use a similar concept to help the SuperSonics win the title in 1979. Russell’s stint with the Kings was considerably worse, his last assignment ending when the Kings went 17-41. Between coaching stints, Russell worked as a color commentator, but he was never comfortable as a broadcaster. Once asked by fellow broadcaster, Chris Schenkel, whom he would pick as his all-time NBA team, Russell quickly rattled off the names of Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, and Oscar Robertson. Asked by Schenkel who his center would be, Russell chuckled, "The guy who picked the team!" Russell also wrote books, usually written as a joint project with a professional writer. These included 1979s Second Wind and 2001s Russell's Rules. After spending several years outside the public eye, Russell rose to prominence again in January 2006, when he convinced Miami Heat superstar center Shaquille O'Neal to bury the hatchet with fellow NBA superstar and former Los Angeles Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant, with whom O'Neal had a bitter public feud. Later that year, on November 17, 2006, the two-time NCAA winner Russell was recognized for his impact on college basketball as a member of the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was one of five, along with John Wooden, Oscar Robertson, Dean Smith and Dr. James Naismith, selected to represent the inaugural class.


Accomplishments and legacy
Bill Russell is the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics dynasty.
— introductory line of Russell's nba.com/history summary.
Russell is one of the most successful and decorated athletes in North American sports history. His awards and achievements include an amazing eleven NBA championships as a player with the Boston Celtics in 13 seasons (including two NBA championships as player/head coach), and he is credited with having raised defensive play in the NBA to a new level. By winning the 1956 NCAA Championship with the University of San Francisco and the 1957 NBA title with the Celtics, Russell became the first of only four players in basketball history to win an NCAA championship and an NBA Championship back-to-back (the others being Henry Bibby, Magic Johnson, and Billy Thompson). In the interim, Russell collected an Olympic gold medal in 1956. His stint as coach of the Celtics was also of historical significance, as he became the first black head coach in major U.S. professional sports when he succeeded Red Auerbach.

In his first NBA full season (1957–58), Russell became the first player in NBA history to average more than 20 rebounds per game for an entire season, a feat he accomplished 10 times in his 13 seasons. Russell's 51 rebounds in a single game is the second best performance ever, only trailing Chamberlain's all-time record of 55. Russell still holds the NBA record for rebounds in one half with 32 (vs. Philadelphia, on November 16, 1957). Career-wise, Russell ranks second only to Wilt Chamberlain in regular season total (21,620) and average (22.5) rebounds per game. Russell is the all-time playoff leader in total (4,104) and average (24.9) rebounds per game, he grabbed 40 rebounds in three separate playoff games (twice in the NBA Finals), and he never failed to average at least 20 rebounds per game in any of his 13 post-season campaigns. Russell also had seven regular season games with 40 or more rebounds. Russell also holds the career playoff record for most rebounds (4,104, 24.9 rpg) in 165 games, the NBA Finals record for highest rebound per game average (29.5 rpg, 1959) and by a rookie (22.9 rpg, 1957). In addition, Russell also holds the NBA Finals single-game record for most rebounds (40, March 29, 1960 vs. St. Louis and April 18, 1962 vs. Los Angeles), most rebounds in a quarter (19, April 18, 1962 vs. Los Angeles), and most consecutive games with 20 or more rebounds (15 from April 9, 1960–April 16, 1963). Furthermore, Russell led the NBA in rebounds per game four times, recorded 21,620 career rebounds, and averaged of 22.5 per game for his career. He also had 51 in one game, 49 in two others, and twelve consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. Russell was known as one of the most clutch players in the NBA. He played in 11 deciding games (10 times in Game 7's, once in a Game 5), and ended with a flawless 11-0 record. In these eleven games, Russell averaged 18 points and 29.45 rebounds.

On the hardwood, he was considered the consummate defensive center, noted for his unmatched defensive intensity, his stellar basketball IQ and his sheer will to win. Russell excelled at playing man-to-man defense, blocking shots, and grabbing defensive and offensive rebounds. He also could score with putbacks and made mid-air outlet passes to point guard Bob Cousy for easy fast break points. He was also known as an excellent passer and pick-setter, featuring a decent left-handed hook shot and finishing strong on alley oops.

However, on offense, Russell's output was limited. His NBA career personal averages show him to be a mediocre scorer (15.1 points career average), a poor free throw shooter (56.1%), and average overall shooter from the field (44%, not exceptional for a center). In his 13 years, he averaged a relatively low 13.4 field goals attempted (normally, top scorers average 20 and more), illustrating he was never the focal point of the Celtics offense, instead open to focus on his tremendous defense.

In his career, Russell won five regular season MVP awards (1959, 1961–63, 1965) — second all-time behind Kareem Abdul Jabbar's six awards. He was selected three times to the All-NBA First Teams (1959, 1963, 1965) and eight Second Teams (1958, 1960–62, 1964, 1966–68), and was a twelve-time NBA All-Star (1958–1969). Russell was elected to one NBA All-Defensive First Team. This took place during his last season (1969), and was the first season the NBA All-Defensive Teams were selected. In 1970, the Sporting News named Russell the "Athlete of the Decade". Russell is universally seen as one of the best NBA players ever, and was declared "Greatest Player in the History of the NBA" by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America in 1980. For his achievements, Russell was named "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated in 1968. He was also named "Greatest Player in the History of the NBA" by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America in 1980 and made all three NBA Anniversary Teams, the NBA 25th Anniversary All-Time Team (1970), the NBA 35th Anniversary All-Time Team (1980) and the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996). Finally, his number 6 jersey was retired by the Celtics in 1972.


Personal life
Russell is the son of Katie and Charlie Russell, whose family also included the noted playwright Charlie L. Russell, Russell's older brother. Russell himself was married to his college sweetheart Rose Swisher from 1956 – 1973, with whom he had three children, namely daughter Karen Russell, the television pundit and lawyer, and sons William Jr. and Jacob. When Rose and Russell divorced, he married former "Miss USA" of 1968, Dorothy Anstett, in 1977 whom he also eventually divorced. In addition, Russell was close friends with his perennial opponent Wilt Chamberlain. It should be noted however that Russell never considered Chamberlain his rival and disliked the term, instead pointing out that they rarely talked about basketball. When Chamberlain died in 1999, Chamberlain’s nephew stated that Russell was the second person he was ordered to break the news to. Asked about his idols, Russell has stated that his childhood hero was his father, and regarding basketball, his idol was Minneapolis Lakers superstar George “Mr. Basketball” Mikan, whom he met when he was in high school. . Russell was also active in the Black Power movement. He was often called "Felton X" and he even purchased land in Liberia. Russell was one of several prominent African-American athletes active in the "Black Power" movement in the 1960's who supported Muhammad Ali's decision to refuse to be drafted.

Russell's life was marked with an uphill battle against racism. As a child, the young Russell witnessed how his parents were victims of racist abuse, and eventually moved into housing projects to escape the daily torrent of bigotry. When he later became a standout amateur basketball player at USF, Russell bitterly recalled how he and his few fellow African-American colleagues were jeered at by white students.

Even after he became a superstar on the Boston Celtics, Russell was the victim of racial abuse. Once, he refused to play a game in Lexington, KY when he and his black teammates were refused service at a local restaurant in 1962. Matters in Boston were made worse by a hostile press failing to acknowledge Russell's torment, instead citing Russell's perceived "bad attitude" as the problem. "I didn't play for Boston," he once said, "I played for the Celtics." While the Celtics founded the most successful sports dynasty of all time, bringing in 11 NBA championships in 13 years, the Boston Garden was snubbed by the local sports fans. During Russell's career, the crowd averaged a mere 8,406 fans, thousands short of a sellout. By contrast, the Celtics teams of the 1980s led by white legend Larry Bird sold out the 14,890-seat Garden for 662 straight games. The worst case of bigotry was recalled by Russell's white Celtics teammate Tom Heinsohn. He recalled the instance when Russell tried to move from his home in the Boston suburb of Reading to a new home across town in 1968. His would-be neighbors filed a petition trying to block the move, and when that failed, other neighbors banded together to try to purchase the home that Russell wanted to buy. Vandals broke into Russell's home and defecated on his bed. This event that led him to call the city of Boston a "flea market of racism". Heinsohn also added that two white sportswriters from Boston told him they would not vote Russell the league's Most Valuable Player because he was black. Furthermore, once in Marion, Indiana, he had been given the key to the city only to be refused service that evening in his hotel's dining room. Russell went to the mayor's home, woke him up, and returned the key.

These hostile reactions made Russell sullen and wary. Similar to fellow NBA center legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was known to be very aloof, Russell was known for his deep mistrust against the media, and was also notorious for his refusal to sign autographs. He stated: "You owe the public the same it owes you—nothing". In addition, Russell neither was present in person when his Number 6 jersey was retired in 1972, nor when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975, shunning the limelight both times. Russell has stated that his experiences hardened him against abuse of all kinds and he never permitted himself to be a victim, denying the bigots their triumph. He said: "I was a man first and basketball player second. I did not want people to define me by what I did for my profession." However despite this bitterness which Russell felt toward Boston, in recent years he has visited the city on a regular basis, something he never did in the years after his retirement. Russell still has sore feelings towards the city, but there has been something of a reconciliation in recent years. When Russell originally retired he demanded that the retiring of his jersey be done with no fans present, however on May 6, 1999 the Celtics re-retired Russell's jersey in a ceremony attended by Russell's on-court nemesis Chamberlain, along with Celtics' legend Larry Bird and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The crowd gave Russell a prolonged standing ovation, which brought tears to his eyes. Finally, Russell and his daughter Karen—both sarcoidosis patients—have joined with the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research to help raise national awareness of this disease.

On May 20, 2007, Russell was awarded an honorary doctorate by Suffolk University, where he served as its commencement speaker, and Russell received an honorary degree from Harvard University on June 7, 2007.