A look back at Bill Russell’s remarkable life
Because he played in the Summer Olympics, Russell could not sign with the Celtics until December, and his first game is Dec. 22, 1956, against the Hawks. The Celtics had never won an NBA championship, and he silences critics with defensive play that brings the team an NBA title in his first season. (When he breaks his ankle the following year, the Celtics lose in the championship series.)
Starting in 1959, the Celtics win eight straight championships, something no team has come close to doing since. In 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1965, Russell is the league’s MVP. During 13 seasons with the Celtics, the team advances to the Finals 12 times, winning 11 championships.
Russell was regarded by many as the NBA’s greatest player until the arrival of Michael Jordan, but his forte was defense. He finished with 21,620 rebounds and led the league in rebounding four times. He had 51 rebounds in one game and 49 in two others and posted 12 straight seasons with 1,400 or more rebounds. Although he never averaged as many as 19 points in a season, he scored at a 15.1-point clip, with 4.3 assists per game, over for his career.
