Did Russell "let" Wilt Score?

[LAZERUSS]

Interesting box score...

http://www.basketball-reference.com/...202090BOS.html

Incidently, BOTH men played all 48 minutes...

Kind of makes you wonder about these supposed takes on the topic...

oh, and BTW, I have never read anything by Russell, himself, claiming that he "let" Wilt score...

[rhowen4]

It SEEMS like that could have BEEN the case, but we don't POSITIVELY know for sure. In fact, I would lean towards that NOT being the case, as Wilt ROUTINELY gave it to Russell, OUTSCORING and OUTREBOUNDING him in practically EVERY head-to-head matchup.

[LAZERUSS]

BTW, the two teams met again the very next night...

http://www.basketball-reference.com/...202100PHW.html

TWO straight 4th quarter comebacks, and with Wilt pounding Russell in both games...

[Kblaze8855]

"Let" isnt the right word.....but its obvious he didnt care what anyone did individually if his team won. Im sure he would...if given the choice...let wilt drop 80 on him every night if it allowed his team to win. He didnt care about the statistical individual matchup.

[SexSymbol]

Do you just randomly sit on bballreference all day searching through game logs from wayyy back?

[LAZERUSS]

"Let" isnt the right word.....but its obvious he didnt care what anyone did individually if his team won. Im sure he would...if given the choice...let wilt drop 80 on him every night if it allowed his team to win. But he didnt care about the statistical individual matchup.

Not aguing much of this, but the reality was, Russell's teams beat Wilt's in about 60% of their H2H's...many of them close games. It was not as if Russell suddenly stopped Wilt at the key moments of every game. In fact, in at least two of their four game seven's, Chamberlain torched Russell down the stretch, and in two and one point losses. If Russell were indeed "letting" Wilt "get his", then he was certainly cutting it close...

[LAZERUSS]

Do you just randomly sit on bballreference all day searching through game logs from wayyy back?

I have memorized the game logs from every NBA game...

[fpliii]

Not really, but Russell couldn't stop Wilt one on one. That being said, his goal was to try and force Wilt to do so. Until he went to the Sixers, Wilt didn't have a team of shooters (which is a necessity for a successful isolation-heavy low post offense), so if you stop Wilt, and Russ is in the paint anyway to guard Wilt (meaning he can turn around and shut down the layup/dunk from his teammates), you're gonna win most of the time.

It might be interesting to look at their head-to-head matchups in 64-65 after the trade, and 65-66 (afterwards, aside from 69-70 pre-injury he wasn't asked to score).

[Deuce Bigalow]

Russell beat Wilt every time except once. Sorry brah. We all know who the greater player was.

[Budadiiii]

Bill Russell is a winner.

[LAZERUSS]

Russell beat Wilt every time except once. Sorry brah. We all know who the greater player was.

I didn't know they played One-on-One back then? When did the game go to FIVE players?

[L.Kizzle]

Yes, Russell has said it before. Let them get certain parts of their games going, than when need be, turn up the intensity.

I know Wilt used to do it to opposing centers.
He 'let" Walt Bellamy score in the second half after he shut him out the first half.

[LAZERUSS]

Yes, Russell has said it before. Let them get certain parts of their games going, than when need be, turn up the intensity.

I know Wilt used to do it to opposing centers.
He 'let" Walt Bellamy score in the second half after he shut him out the first half.

Do you have any quotes from Russell directly relating to Wilt?

[Dr.J4ever]

I'm curious. Have any of you actually seen these Wilt-Russell battles in real time?

[LAZERUSS]

I'm curious. Have any of you actually seen these Wilt-Russell battles in real time?

Many times...

And I never ever saw even one game, in which I honestly felt Russell had outplayed Wilt. Now, granted, I did come away thinking just how poorly Wilt's teammates performed in the majority of them, so perhaps Russell deserves some of the credit for that (as well as his teammates, like Sam and Hondo, who were among the most "clutch" players of all-time)...