The Celtics won, earning their first NBA Championship. He told her to go home and remove the dress, which he described as "white woman's clothing". Many people thought that Russell was more important even though he had only played half the season. So he made a conscious decision, he said, to put the team first and foremost, and not worry about individual achievements. [2][3], Since its inception, the award has been given to 31 players. Russell no se pudo unir a los Celtics en su primera temporada en la NBA hasta diciembre de 1956 debido a su grandísimo compromiso olímpico. Russell was "proud of my grandfather's heroic dignity against forces more powerful than him...he would not allow himself to be oppressed or intimidated by anyone." [47] On November 7, 1959, Russell's Celtics hosted Chamberlain's Warriors, and pundits called the matchup between the best offensive and defensive centers "The Big Collision" and "Battle of the Titans". When Chamberlain died in 1999, Chamberlain's nephew said that Russell was the second person he was told to call. [41] In Boston, both fans and journalists felt betrayed, because Russell left the Celtics without a coach and a center and sold his retirement story for $10,000 to Sports Illustrated. After the next provocation, Russell pounded Felix to the point of unconsciousness, paid a modest $25 fine and rarely was the target of cheap fouls thereafter. [1] In retrospect, Auerbach's thoughts were unorthodox. "[8], In his early years, Russell struggled to develop his skills as a basketball player. Jones. À LIRE AUSSI. L.A. now featured new recruit Wilt Chamberlain next to perennial stars Baylor and West, and were heavily favored. Russell is one of the most successful and decorated athletes in North American sports history. [1], Russell again excelled during the 1964–65 season. "At that time", he has said, "it was never acceptable that a black player was the best. When he became player-coach in 1966, Russell bluntly said to his teammates that "he intended to cut all personal ties to other players" and seamlessly made the transition from their peer to their superior. Russell further described himself as an avid reader of Dell Magazines' 1950s sports publications, which he used to scout opponents' moves for the purpose of defending against them. Bill Russell is an NBA legend. Boston then beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4–2 in the NBA Finals, giving Russell his tenth title in 12 years. Tras su regreso de Melbourne, Rusell disputó 48 partidos y promedio 14,7 puntos y 19,6 rebotes por partido, liderando la liga en esta última categoría estadística. If I looked at it objectively, detached myself, it would be a deficiency. Russell did his best to slow down the 50-points-per-game scoring Warriors center; in the pivotal Game 7, Russell managed to hold Chamberlain to only 22 points (28 below his season average) while scoring 19 himself. William Felton "Bill" Russell (West Monroe, 12 de fevereiro de 1934) é um ex-jogador e treinador profissional de basquete norte-americano, que atuava como pivô no Boston Celtics, usando a camisa de número 6. Les informations, résultats et classements de tous les sports. "[78][132] However, when his white Celtics teammate Frank Ramsey asked whether he hated him, Russell claimed to have been misquoted, but few believed it. Following Chamberlain's death in October 1999, Russell returned to prominence at the turn of the millennium. His awards and achievements include 11 NBA championships as a player with the Boston Celtics in 13 seasons (including two NBA championships as player/head coach), and he is credited with having raised defensive play in the NBA to a new level. [108] In 1977, he married Dorothy Anstett, Miss USA of 1968,[108] but they divorced in 1980. Because the Celtics had finished second in the previous season and the worst teams had the highest draft picks, the Celtics had slipped too low in the draft order to pick Russell. Bill Russell and his record 11 NBA championships have other ideas. [35], During that same draft, Boston also drafted guard K. C. Jones, Russell's former USF teammate. Russell used a copy as extra motivation and told his team to play a running game, because in that case, not the better, but the more determined team was going to win. He holds French citizenship and plays for, Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award, "Kevin Durant Wins 2017 NBA Finals MVP After Winning 1st Title with Warriors", "Kawhi Leonard is third youngest NBA Finals MVP ever", "Andre Iguodala named Finals MVP after coming off bench to begin series", "LeBron James makes history, wins Finals MVP with 3 different franchises", "Kawhi 1st to win Finals MVP in both conferences", "Kawhi Leonard joins elite company in winning Finals MVP", "Bargnani becomes first European top NBA draft pick", "Danny Green's rise from role player to NBA Finals juggernaut isn't the first of its kind", "The Finals MVP to Receive Bill Russell MVP Award", "All-Time USA Basketball Men's Roster: D", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NBA_Finals_Most_Valuable_Player_Award&oldid=1018236574, Wikipedia pending changes protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Denotes player who is still active in the NBA, Denotes the number of times the player had received the Finals MVP award, Denotes the number of times a player from this team has received the Finals MVP award, This page was last edited on 16 April 2021, at 23:40. In the post-season, the Celtics met the Philadelphia Warriors with Chamberlain. [34] He had the option to skip the tournament and play a full season for the Celtics, but he was determined to play in the Olympics. The already hostile atmosphere between Russell and Boston hit its apex when vandals broke into his house, covered the walls with racist graffiti, damaged his trophies and defecated in the beds. [93] He also had 51 in one game, 49 in two others, and 12 straight seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. Brown contacted Rochester owner Les Harrison, and received an assurance that the Royals could not afford Russell, and would instead draft Sihugo Green. [1] Opponent Wilt Chamberlain said Russell's timing as a shot-blocker was unparalleled. He led the NBA in rebounds four times, had a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds,[4] and remains second all-time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. James now trails only Michael Jordan, who won six Finals MVP trophies during his career. The “Russell Rule” requires each member institution to include a member of a traditionally underrepresented community in the pool of final candidates for every athletic director, senior administrator, head coach and full-time assistant coach position in the athletic department. Recency bias may compel fans to hold Brady or Jordan in higher esteem, but Russell's accomplishments remain unmatched. [41], At the same time, Russell received much negative publicity as a player. [40] Russell was an elite help defender who allowed the Celtics to play the so-called "Hey, Bill" defense: whenever a Celtic requested additional defensive help, he would shout "Hey, Bill!" Bill Russell (right) won 11 NBA championships and five MVP awards as a player, but he accomplished much more off the court. "[122] Russell himself in 2009 wrote his paternal grandfather's motto, passed down to his father and then to him: "A man has to draw a line inside himself that he won't allow any man to cross." Teams Boston Celtics (1956-1969) Honors Five-time MVP (1957-58, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1964-65), 12 … [69] Russell pulled himself together and put up 9.9 points and 19.3 rebounds per game,[38] but the aging Celtics stumbled through the regular season. Bill Russell was born in 1934 to Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana. The NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is an annual award given to the best player in the NBA Finals series, based on votes cast by a defined number of media members. Bill Russell - Career stats, game logs, biographical info, awards, and achievements for the NBA and NCAA. [7] At Chamberlain's eulogy, Russell stated that he did not consider them to be rivals, but rather to have a competition, and that the pair would "be friends through eternity. [1][33], In the 1960–61 season, Russell averaged 16.9 points and 23.9 rebounds per game,[38] leading his team to a regular season mark of 57–22. "I never permitted myself to be a victim", he said. Russell scored 15.0 ppg and grabbed a career-high 24.7 rebounds per game, leading the NBA in rebounds for the first time since Chamberlain entered the league. "[33] The Celtics swept the Nationals in three games to earn the franchise's first appearance in the NBA Finals. [33], The Celtics lost playmaker Bob Cousy to retirement after the 1962–63 season, but they drafted John Havlicek. "[79] In December 2008, the We Are Boston Leadership Award was presented to Russell. (2004). [78] Journalists were often treated to the "Russell Glower", described as an "icily contemptuous stare accompanied by a long silence". In 2008, Russell received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. I like most blacks because I am black"; however, Russell articulated these views with a measure of self-criticism: "I consider this a deficiency in myself—maybe. In Game 5, Russell contributed 28 rebounds, 10 blocks, seven assists and six steals. While Saperstein spoke to Woolpert in a meeting, Globetrotters assistant coach Harry Hanna tried to entertain Russell with jokes. [66] Russell acknowledged the first real loss of his career (he had been injured in 1958 when the Celtics lost the NBA Finals) by visiting Chamberlain in the locker room, shaking his hand and saying, "Great". But Russell and little-used fifth forward Gene Guarilia successfully pressured Baylor into missed shots. Russell led USF to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, including a string of 55 consecutive victories. By winning the 1956 NCAA Championship with USF and the 1957 NBA title with the Celtics, Russell became the first of only four players in basketball history to win … But Russell's story is … [40] In previous years, the Celtics had been a high-scoring team, but lacked the defensive presence needed to close out tight games. We won 28 out of 29 games. [5] When he later became a standout college player at USF, Russell recalled how he and his few fellow black teammates were jeered by white students. [6] Since Russell's previous experiences with white authority figures were often negative, warm words from his coach reassured him. Reserve guard Alex Hannum threw a long alley oop pass to Pettit, and Pettit's tip-in rolled indecisively on the rim for several seconds before rolling out again. Russell's team again beat Chamberlain's Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 1 in the Division Finals, proceeding to win the NBA Finals in a tight seven-game showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers, with Russell scoring 25 points and grabbing 32 rebounds in a 95–93 win in the deciding seventh game. [95] He also could score with putbacks and made mid-air outlet passes to point guard Bob Cousy for easy fast break points. Cooper, the Boston Celtics will never embarrass you.' So we never, or at least I never, ever considered him as having ulterior motives for whatever he did. [6], At USF, Russell became the new starting center for coach Phil Woolpert. [78], For most of his career, Russell and his perennial opponent Wilt Chamberlain were close friends. Find the perfect Bill Russell Nba Finals Mvp Award stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Avery Brundage, head of the International Olympic Committee, argued that Russell had already signed a professional contract and thus was no longer an amateur, but Russell prevailed. [38] During this season, the Celtics featured five future Hall-of-Famers: center Russell, forwards Heinsohn and Frank Ramsey, and guards Bill Sharman and Bob Cousy. [32] He was active in the Black Power movement and supported Muhammad Ali's decision to refuse to be drafted. [4] LeBron James has won the award four times in his career, and Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Tim Duncan won three times each. [1], Besides basketball, Russell represented USF in track and field events. [135] After that, the two were often seen together at various events and interviewed as friends. Bill Russell, le père de la défense. In addition, Russell holds the NBA Finals single-game record for most rebounds (40, March 29, 1960, vs. St. Louis, and April 18, 1962, vs. Los Angeles), most rebounds in a quarter (19, April 18, 1962 vs. Los Angeles), and most consecutive games with 20 or more rebounds (15 from April 9, 1960 – April 16, 1963). He later commented that he would have participated in the high jump if he had been snubbed by the basketball team. In the following season, Russell scored a career-high 18.9 points per game, accompanied by 23.6 rebounds per game. Bill Russell, fils de Charles et Katie Russell, naît à Monroe, dans l'État de Louisiane aux États-Unis.Dans cet État du Sud, le racisme est encore très présent dans les années 1940 et 1950 et sa famille en souffre [1].Par exemple, un jour, à une station essence, son père se voit refuser d'être servi tant que tous les clients blancs n'ont pas été servis. As a child he witnessed how his parents were victims of racial abuse, and the family eventually moved into government housing projects to escape the daily torrent of bigotry. [129] Russell, at the time his additional role of coach was announced, publicly stated he believed Auerbach's (who he regarded as the greatest of all coaches) impact as a coach confined every or almost every relationship with each Celtic player to a strictly professional one. yearly peak chance of winning Finals MVP, model 2. [33] He excelled at playing man-to-man defense, blocking shots and grabbing defensive rebounds. Russell became a vegetarian, took up golf and worked as a color commentator for CBS and TBS throughout the 1970s into the mid-1980s, but he was uncomfortable as a broadcaster. [40] Auerbach assigned Russell to shut down the Hawks' main scorer, and the rookie impressed the Boston crowd with his man-to-man defense and shot-blocking. [49] It was the record for most rebounds in a single game until Chamberlain grabbed 55 rebounds. [98] On June 15, 2017, Russell was announced as the inaugural recipient of the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2009, SLAM Magazine named Russell the #3 player of all time behind Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. [73], Russell's No. Russell also ignored Heinsohn's request for an autograph on behalf of his cousin and openly said to Heinsohn that he deserved half of his $300 Rookie of the Year check. [137] He was often called "Felton X", presumably in the tradition of the Nation of Islam's practice of replacing a European slave name with an "X", and even purchased land in Liberia. [10] However, coach George Powles saw Russell's raw athletic potential and encouraged him to work on his fundamentals. Suddenly, Jake Russell broke down crying. [1] For his efforts Russell was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year. In an interview with ESPN, Russell said he wanted the NFL players to know they weren't alone. Le Trophée Bill Russell du meilleur joueur des Finales NBA (Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award) récompense chaque année le meilleur joueur (MVP) des finales de la National Basketball Association.. But then, national tragedy struck on April 4, with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. With eight of the ten starting players on Sixers and Celtics being black, both teams were in deep shock, and there were calls to cancel the series. In protest, the whole team decided to camp out in a closed college dorm, which was later called an important bonding experience for the group. Biographie Sa jeunesse. In Game 6, Russell recorded 19 points, 24 rebounds and 10 assists as the Celtics won 119-105. In addition, Auerbach had already used his territorial pick to acquire talented forward Tom Heinsohn. He was one of five, along with John Wooden, Oscar Robertson, Dean Smith and Dr. James Naismith, selected to represent the inaugural class. This would occur repeatedly throughout his career. During a press conference, Russell was asked: "As the first Negro head coach in a major league sport, can you do the job impartially without any racial prejudice in reverse?" Russell led the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points per game for the competition. Well, that let me know that if I were to accept these as the final judges of my career I would die a bitter old man." Brown, who gave him a high $24,000 rookie contract, just $1,000 shy of the top earning veteran Bob Cousy. In the 1959–60 season, the NBA witnessed the debut of legendary 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) Philadelphia Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain, who averaged a record 37.6 points per game in his rookie year. [58], In the following 1963–64 season, the Celtics posted a league-best 58–22 record in the regular season. And what we would do is—[Auerbach] trusted all his players—so like when he'd make a coaching decision, he could talk: he talked to [Bob] Cousey [who is white], he talked to me [black], he talked to [Bill] Sharman [white], he talked to Sam [Jones] [black]—all of us: "What do you think?". His time as a non-player coach was lackluster; although he led the struggling SuperSonics into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Russell's defensive, team-oriented Celtics mindset did not mesh well with the team, and he left in 1977 with a 162–166 record. The reporter asked, "How?" Russell also wrote books, usually written as a joint project with a professional writer, including 1979's Second Wind. Cynthia Cooper, a four-time WNBA Finals MVP with the Houston Comets (she was a regular season MVP twice), captured a pair of NCAA titles with the USC Trojans in the 1983 and 1984. [59] It was their sixth consecutive and seventh title in Russell's eighth year, a streak unreached in any U.S. professional sports league. [117], During his career, Russell was one of the first big earners in NBA basketball. His 1956 rookie contract was worth $24,000, only fractionally smaller than the $25,000 of top earner Bob Cousy. On February 14, 2009, during the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the NBA Finals MVP Award would be named after Bill Russell. After USF kept Holy Cross star Tom Heinsohn scoreless in an entire half, Sports Illustrated wrote, "If [Russell] ever learns to hit the basket, they're going to have to rewrite the rules. "[95] In the book itself Russell wrote "Whenever I leave the Celtics locker room, even Heaven wouldn't be good enough because anywhere else is a step down... With Red [Auerbach] and Walter Brown, I was the freest athlete on the planet. [56] At that time, he became the fourth player in Celtics history to have a triple-double, joining Ed Macauley, Bob Cousy and K.C. You are a Negro. In the first two games, Russell ordered not to double-team West, who used the freedom to score 53 and 41 points in the Game 1 and 2 Laker wins. (At the time, blocks were not yet an officially registered statistic.) Russell, who was sensitive to any racial prejudice, was enraged by the fact that owner Abe Saperstein would only discuss the matter with Woolpert. Once again, the Celtics were powered by Russell, who averaged 16.8 points and 23.6 rebounds per game, won his fourth regular-season MVP title, and earned MVP honors at the 1963 NBA All-Star Game following his 19-point, 24-rebound performance for the East. Russell was so quick that he could run over for a quick double team and make it back in time if the opponents tried to find the open man. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. At 20 years and 276 days old, Johnson is the youngest Finals MVP winner in history. The teams split the first six games. [126] Later in Russell's career, Havlicek said of his teammate and coach that he threw up less often than early in his career, only doing so "when it's an important game or an important challenge for him—someone like Chamberlain, or someone coming up that everyone's touting. Because Russell ignored virtually any well-wisher who approached him home or away, not to mention the vast majority of media, his autograph was among the most difficult to secure of any pro athlete of his time. At age 35, Russell contributed 21 rebounds in his last NBA game. In that period, centers and forwards were defined by their offensive output, and their ability to play defense was secondary.[33]. Check out stats on every National Basketball Association Finals MVP winner on ESPN.com. C’est donc en toute logique que Bill Russell a été élu MVP de la rencontre, pour la première et dernière fois en 12 sélections lors de sa carrière. [76] While Russell still has sore feelings towards Boston, there has been something of a reconciliation;[146] on November 15, 2019 Russell did accept the Hall of fame ring in a private ceremony with family,[147] and he has even visited the city regularly in recent years, something he never did in the years immediately after his retirement. He played in 11 deciding games (10 times in Game 7s, once in a Game 5), and ended with a flawless 11–0 record. This was in contrast to other Celtics who had to work during the offseason to maintain their standard of living: Heinsohn sold insurance, Gene Guarilia was a professional guitar player, Cousy ran a basketball camp, and Auerbach invested in plastics and a Chinese restaurant. [134] Chamberlain's knee was injured so badly that he could not play the entire offseason and he ruptured it the next season. [109] In 1996, Russell married his third wife, Marilyn Nault;[110] their marriage lasted until her death in January 2009. He is 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) tall, with a 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) wingspan. He also made all three NBA Anniversary Teams: the NBA 25th Anniversary All-Time Team (1970), the NBA 35th Anniversary All-Time Team (1980) and the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (1996). [94] Bill Bradley—Russell's erstwhile Knicks opponent—wrote in 2009 that Russell "was the smartest player ever to play the game [of basketball]". [Auerbach would] get the information from us and then make a decision based on that information and his thoughts. [48] Both men awed onlookers with "nakedly awesome athleticism",[48] and while Chamberlain outscored Russell 30 to 22, the Celtics won 115–106, and the match was called a "new beginning of basketball. Bill Russell talks about having the NBA Finals trophy named after him, and what it means not only to him but to his family. Select from premium Bill Russell Nba Finals Mvp Award of the highest quality. [23], On the hardwood, his experiences were far more pleasant. In 2009, the NBA announced that the Finals MVP award would be named after Bill Russell. The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award (formerly known as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The team utilized a strong defensive approach to the game, forcing opposing teams to commit many turnovers, which led to many easy points on fast breaks. Lu Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award (chiamatu n pricidenza NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award) è lu premiu assignatu dâ National Basketball Association a lu migghiuri jucatura rê finali. Cedric Maxwell and Chauncey Billups are the only Finals MVP winners eligible for the Hall of Fame who have not been voted in. Russell wore his Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the image was captioned with "Proud to take a knee, and to stand tall against social injustice." [66], In Russell's penultimate season of 1967–68, his numbers slowly declined, but at age 34, he still tallied 12.5 points per game and 18.6 rebounds per game[38] (the latter good for the third highest average in the league). [46] Lakers head coach John Kundla praised Russell, stating, "We don't fear the Celtics without Bill Russell. So after the season was over, they had a Northern California banquet, and they picked another center as Player of the Year in Northern California. [82] On May 20, 2007, Russell was awarded an honorary doctorate by Suffolk University, where he served as its commencement speaker. [78] He was so tense before every game that he regularly vomited in the locker room; early in his career, it happened so frequently that his fellow Celtics were more worried when it did not happen than when it did. "[125], Russell was driven by "a neurotic need to win", as his Celtic teammate Heinsohn observed. Auerbach, however, knew that the Rochester Royals, who owned the first draft pick, already had a strong rebounder in Maurice Stokes, were looking for an outside shooting guard, and were unwilling to pay Russell the $25,000 signing bonus he requested. Choisissez parmi des contenus premium Bill Russell … In that season, Russell's Celtics won a record 59 regular season games (including a then-record tying 17 game win streak) and met Chamberlain's Warriors in the Eastern Division Finals. "[138] Describing the Celtics organization (as distinguished from Boston sports fans in the 1950s and 1960s) as very progressive racially, Russell in 2010 recalled a list of the organization's accomplishments on racial progress both in terms of objective milestones and his own subjective experience as a member of the organization:[139]. He's the guy who whipped us psychologically."[33]. The crowd gave Russell a prolonged standing ovation, which brought tears to his eyes. [41] Russell grabbed an NBA Finals-record 40 rebounds in Game 2, and added 22 points and 35 rebounds in the deciding Game 7, a 122–103 victory for Boston. [87][88] Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2011. [75] He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. [7] Under head coach Gerald Tucker, Russell helped the national team win the gold medal in Melbourne, by defeating the Soviet Union 89–55 in the final game. This was the first time in seven years that he failed to average at least 23 rebounds a game. He's so good, he scares you. DeJulio was unimpressed by Russell's meager scoring and "atrocious fundamentals",[14] but sensed that the young center had an extraordinary instinct for the game, especially in the clutch. [141] In King Of The Court by Aram Goudsouzian, he was quoted saying, "From my very first year I thought of myself as playing for the Celtics, not for Boston. "[132] Years after Taylor's book, Russell published an autobiographical account, Red and Me which chronicled his lifelong friendship with Auerbach. [96] Former NBA player and head coach, Don Nelson, described Russell as follows: "There are two types of superstars. A morass to fight from. Bill Russell guards Wilt Chamberlain in the 1960s. In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics met the Los Angeles Lakers with star forward Elgin Baylor and star guard Jerry West. Position Center. Johnson is the only rookie ever to win the award,[5] as well as the youngest at 20 years old. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 12-time All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA championships during his 13-year career. Full historical list of Most Valuable Player winners. Two examples are goaltending in response to George Mikan (1945) and prohibiting the dunk shot due to Lew Alcindor (1967), although the latter rule was later repealed. The two men did not speak to each other for more than 20 years until Russell finally met with Chamberlain and personally apologized. [115] Russell is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, having been initiated into its Gamma Alpha chapter while a student at University of San Francisco. Boston's chances of getting Russell seemed slim, however. [4] Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kobe Bryant, Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant won the award twice.