By focusing on defense in a game that had been built on scoring, Russell became a dominating presence on the court.įormer teammate Tommy Heinsohn told the Boston Herald in 1999 that Russell “could absolutely control a game defensively … His defensive genius was something completely foreign to the NBA.”Ĭeltics coach and president Red Auerbach put it succinctly: “Russell single-handedly revolutionized this game simply because he made defense so important.” Russell transformed the center position by using his tremendous athletic gifts and mobility to block shots, force errant shots and rebound. Jones had the rare distinction of having played on teams that won National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Olympic and NBA titles in a span of only 13 months.īefore Russell, centers had been taught to play flatfooted and not leave their feet when defending their opponents.
Bill russell professional#
Russell won five NBA awards for Most Valuable Player, was an All-Star 12 times, and elected to the Hall of Fame.īefore joining the Celtics and beginning his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco (USF) to two consecutive national collegiate championships, and then the US Olympic team to the gold medal in the 1956 Melbourne Games. Under his leadership, the Boston Celtics won an unprecedented 11 National Basketball Association (NBA) championships in 13 seasons from 1956 to 1969, the most dominant record in any US professional sport. Bill Russell reacts at a news conference as he learns the most valuable player award for the NBA basketball championships has been renamed the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, Feb.
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