Bill Russell - Bill Russell's legacy: Defense wins championships. Before Bill Russell brought his marvelous defensive and shot blocking skills to basketball, the game focused primarily on offense. But Russell initiated a defensive mentality that remains a focal part of championship basketball at every level. Without a doubt, Russell was the greatest defensive center in the history of basketball. Russell cultivated his skills at the University of San Francisco, under Hall of Fame Coach Phil Woolpert. The agile Russell was a dominant collegian, and teamed with fellow Hall of Famer K.C. Jones to make USF one of college basketball's most exciting and prosperous teams. Russell led the Dons to 55 consecutive victories and capped his collegiate years with the 1955 and 1956 NCAA championships. In 1955 and 1956, Russell earned All-America honors and was named national Player of the Year in 1956. Russell delayed his professional career so he could play in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia. Along with his USF teammate Jones, Russell led the U.S. to an 8-0 record and the gold medal.
Russell played in 48 of the Boston Celtics' 72 games as a rookie, and his presence in the Celtics' lineup began a dynasty in Boston rivaled in sports only by John Wooden's UCLA Bruins and baseball's New York Yankees. Russell turned Boston into a powerful machine that overwhelmed opponents both defensively and offensively. During Russell's career, Boston won 11 NBA championships, including eight consecutive from 1959 to 1966. Russell's head-to-head battles with Wilt Chamberlain in the 1950s and 1960s are legendary. In their first highly anticipated showdown on Nov. 7, 1959, Russell grabbed an amazing 35 rebounds and Boston won 115-106. Russell's accolades include: five-time league MVP (1958,1961-63, 1965), 12-time All-Star Game participant (MVP in 1963), Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1968 and The Sporting News Athlete of the Decade in 1970.
This defensive wizard, who once had 51 rebounds in a game against Syracuse in 1960, led the NBA in rebounding five times and grabbed 21,620 rebounds (second all-time), averaged 15.1 ppg and 22.5 rpg for his career. At the beginning of the 1967 season, the Celtics named Russell to succeed Red Auerbach as head coach, making him the first ever black NBA head coach. Russell served as player/coach from 1967 to 1969, and led Boston to the 1968 and 1969 NBA titles. Russell was named to the All-NBA 25th and 35th Anniversary Teams in 1970 and 1980 and the 50th Team in 1996.
