Bill Russell Appreciation Thread

[wally_world]

As a young basketball fan, I've heard of Bill Russell - guy won 11 championships, was the best defensive player to ever step foot on the court, dominated the game without scoring. But after I picked him in the 16 team all-time draft, I started looking more into what he has done, and he is truly, truly spectacular.

Watching this interview right now called "Russell's House (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc5wizzVVC8)" which I think was telecasted last year. I urge all of you who haven't seen it to watch it. I am marveled by how great a competitor, a leader, a teammate he was. I now truly believe, him and MJ are the 2 greatest to have played this sport, and no one else comes close. What's even more incredible is the work he did beyond basketball - for Ali, for Martin Luther King, for his teammates, for himself. He truly revolutionised not only the game, but the whole of America. This man is a legend, and truly the face of basketball.

I applaud Bill Russell :applause:

Also, check out this really cool clip I found of Russell's athletic ability - http://youtu.be/pivrE_mqmhs

[riseagainst]

I applaud Bill Russell :applause:

Also, check out this really cool clip I found of Russell's athletic ability - http://youtu.be/pivrE_mqmhs


:eek:
:bowdown:

[SugarHill]

Also, check out this really cool clip I found of Russell's athletic ability - http://youtu.be/pivrE_mqmhs

Dude was fast as fvck

[salwan]

:bowdown: :bowdown:

[Rake2204]

Also, check out this really cool clip I found of Russell's athletic ability - http://youtu.be/pivrE_mqmhsAlways felt the title of that video sort of cheapened it. He didn't jump from the free throw line nor jump over the defender, but it was a nice play regardless.

Anywho, Bill's been one of my favorite classic players since '95. My middle school library had tons of books on basketball but they were all 20-30 years old. As such, I was left with little other choice than to read the biographies of Bob Cousy and Bill Russell. Ended up working out pretty well as I was able to build a better understanding of basketball history at a relatively young age.

[CavaliersFTW]

As a young basketball fan, I've heard of Bill Russell - guy won 11 championships, was the best defensive player to ever step foot on the court, dominated the game without scoring. But after I picked him in the 16 team all-time draft, I started looking more into what he has done, and he is truly, truly spectacular.

Watching this interview right now called "Russell's House (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc5wizzVVC8)" which I think was telecasted last year. I urge all of you who haven't seen it to watch it. I am marveled by how great a competitor, a leader, a teammate he was. I now truly believe, him and MJ are the 2 greatest to have played this sport, and no one else comes close. What's even more incredible is the work he did beyond basketball - for Ali, for Martin Luther King, for his teammates, for himself. He truly revolutionised not only the game, but the whole of America. This man is a legend, and truly the face of basketball.

I applaud Bill Russell :applause:

Also, check out this really cool clip I found of Russell's athletic ability -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2AlFrOj5Mc

Here's the original link.

[oarabbus]

Bill Russell - The One True GOAT :bowdown: nearly doubling the modern GOATs rings :bowdown:

inb4 "I don't have Bill Russell in my top 10 because his teams were stacked"

Well how about John Havlicek, he has 8 championships? Clutch and GOAT motor?
"I don't have John Havlicek in my top 20 because his teams were stacked"

How about Sam Jones? 7 Rings? Ultra clutch?
"I don't have Sam Jones in my top 30 because his teams were stacked

What about Tommy Heinsohn?
"He wasn't that good, his teams were stacked"

:lol

Admittedly the other HOF Celtics weren't THAT good, but the ones mentioned above are all time greats, seemingly they get no respect outside of Russell... who himself gets little respect.

[ArbitraryWater]

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=356038

:cheers:

same here, man... Don't think he's GOAT but highhhh

[sammichoffate]

Wtf did I just see?:eek: :wtf:

[Cobra Kai]

Bill Russell won 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons, 2 NCAA championships, 2 high school state championships and an Olympic gold medal.

It's not a coincidence he won so many championships on every level.

He is the greatest winner this game has ever seen.

[NuggetsFan]

Obviously didn't get to watch him but from everything you read & see about him comes off as the greatest team player the game has seen. Not as individually dominant atleast offensively as other GOAT candidates but a guy that just did whatever was needed to win.

[pudman13]

Bill Russell was the greatest psychological player the sport has ever seen. Sometimes you learn more about someone by reading what his opponents have to say about him, and to a man they'll all talk about times when he would block one of their shots and they couldn't figure out where in the world he came from or how he did it, or how they'd make a shot early in a game and then try the same thing down the stretch and he'd be there to block it. It's like how Greg Maddux used to purposely let guys hit home runs off of him during spring training. Also, to put this all in perspective, he was the very first player to ever do the kinds of things on defense he did. Red Auerbach deserves a lot of credit for recognizing this and for encouraging him to play his game at a time when most coaches were too dumb to let a visionary player change the game.

[GimmeThat]

but he probably wouldn't even take the shot or catch the ball even if I tried to pass it to him

[Harison]

The greatest winner NBA has ever seen :applause:

P.S. If all legends could be drafted today, I would still take MJ, but second on the list would be Rus.

[Asukal]

Only guy who has an argument over MJ. :bowdown:

Not the "record books" guy, not the "unstoppable shot guy", its this guy, Bill Russell. :applause:

:cheers:

[Rake2204]

I really wish NBA 2K would bring back their era-specific rules and filters. Using Bill Russell on those Celtics teams with no three-point line and in black & white was one of my favorite moments in video gaming history.

What it looked like for those unfamiliar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTQagwnugaM

[barkleynash]

Bill Russell won 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons, 2 NCAA championships, 2 high school state championships and an Olympic gold medal.

It's not a coincidence he won so many championships on every level.

He is the greatest winner this game has ever seen.

Maybe the greatest winner in any sport the world has ever seen. Definitely in team sports, there might someone in an individual sport who dominated more

[KevinNYC]

As a young basketball fan, I've heard of Bill Russell - guy won 11 championships, was the best defensive player to ever step foot on the court, dominated the game without scoring. But after I picked him in the 16 team all-time draft, I started looking more into what he has done, and he is truly, truly spectacular.

Watching this interview right now called "Russell's House (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc5wizzVVC8)" which I think was telecasted last year. I urge all of you who haven't seen it to watch it. I am marveled by how great a competitor, a leader, a teammate he was. I now truly believe, him and MJ are the 2 greatest to have played this sport, and no one else comes close. What's even more incredible is the work he did beyond basketball - for Ali, for Martin Luther King, for his teammates, for himself. He truly revolutionised not only the game, but the whole of America. This man is a legend, and truly the face of basketball.

I applaud Bill Russell :applause:

Also, check out this really cool clip I found of Russell's athletic ability - http://youtu.be/pivrE_mqmhs

Have you heard of the Coleman Play? Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn and other all time Celtics call it the greatest basketball play they ever seen and those two guys have announced a ton of basketball games.

In the last minute of the Game 7 in the 1957 Finals. Russell ran from behind the backboard and went the full length of the court to catch up and block Jack Coleman's shot. Coleman already had the ball at half court ahead of everyone when Russell started.

Psileas just posted about it here
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10643391&postcount=21

[KevinNYC]

Russell may be the greatest locker room player of all time. He was devoted to the concept of the team. His teammates loved him and they figured with him they wouldn't lose.

[KevinNYC]

but he probably wouldn't even take the shot or catch the ball even if I tried to pass it to him
Why don't you come back to us after you've scored 30 points in Game 7 of a NBA finals like Russell did.