Did you think I meant Michael Jordan? Fair enough. Jordan is the GOAT, but no basketball conversation is legitimate unless we are talking about Bill Russell.
The man played in the league when the league wasn't that popular. Nevertheless, he won 11 NBA Championships, 5 NBA MVP Awards, 4 NBA rebounding championships, was a 12-time All-Star, won a gold medal in the 1956 Olympics, and won 2 NBA Championships as a coach!
Oh he also was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama...no big deal right?
Russell's illustrious career came to an end when he announced his retirement on June 30th, 1969. That was his last year as a coach, and his 13 NBA Titles were all with the Boston Celtics. His number 6 jersey was retired in 1972, and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. He was also named to the NBA's 25th, 35th and 50th Anniversary Teams.
His Celtics went on to win 8 NBA Titles in a row - and we think watching the Warriors win three times in four years is bad - and he made the Playoffs every year since he entered the league in 1956 (as the second overall pick). He lost in the 1958 NBA Finals 4-2 against the St. Louis Hawks - the team that originally drafted him - and in the 1967 Division Finals 4-1 against the Wilt Chamberlain led 76ers as the Sixers went on to win their second NBA Title (their first coming in 1955).
Russell finished with career averages of 15.1 points and 22.5 boards per game!
Stay tuned for more!