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Bill Russell (basketball)

Bill Russell
Russell cropped.jpg
Russell, circa 1960
Personal information
Born (1934-02-12) February 12, 1934 (age 83)
Monroe, Louisiana
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight 220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school McClymonds (Oakland, California)
College San Francisco (1953–1956)
NBA draft 1956 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the St. Louis Hawks
Playing career 1956–1969
Position Center
Number 6
Coaching career 1966–1988
Career history
As player:
19561969 Boston Celtics
As coach:
19661969 Boston Celtics
19731977 Seattle SuperSonics
1987–1988 Sacramento Kings
Career highlights and awards

As player:

As coach:

Career NBA statistics
Points 14,522 (15.1 ppg)
Rebounds 21,620 (22.5 rpg)
Assists 4,100 (4.3 apg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2006

As player:

As coach:

William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12, 1934) is an American retired professional basketball player. Russell played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a twelve-time All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty, winning eleven NBA championships during his thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of the National Hockey League'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 NCAA 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 players in NBA history. He was listed as between 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) and 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), and his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' success. He also inspired his teammates to elevate their own defensive play. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities. He led the NBA in rebounds four times, had a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds, and remains second all-time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed more than 50 rebounds in a game. Though never the focal point of the Celtics' offense, Russell also scored 14,522 career points and provided effective passing.


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Wikipedia

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