R.I.P Bill Russell
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Bill Russell passed away at 88 yesterday. I was out for a run, I got home, cleaned myself up and checked my phone. This is what I do every Sunday after my morning run. This is my routine. The first thing I saw when I checked was a whole bunch of people writing "RIP Bill Russell".
I did not want to believe it at first. I understand that he was old, but it seemed like Bill Russell was going to live for a bit longer. I figured he would make it to his mid 90's. He still seemed like he had time. I saw him at the Finals. I saw him on TV a lot during the NBA season. And he looked okay. Again, he had grayed and he moved slower than usual, but he still seemed to have it all together. He wasn't going away mentally at least. So when I read his family's statement on his passing, it hit me a little harder than I thought it would.
It is no secret how much I dislike the Celtics. They may be my least favorite professional sports team. But Bill Russell was the exception for me. He was a player who I never saw play, but knew all about his career. I feel like it is a prerequisite to know about Russell when you decided to get into basketball. He was a trailblazer. He was ahead of his time. He dominated. He did things that were unheard of back when he played. He would have thrived in any era with his style of play. He was a defensive first style player. He was the original rim protector. He was a skinnier, more athletic Shaq on the defensive end. He was impenetrable when protecting the rim. He is the greatest rebounder to ever play the game. Without his rebounding prowess there would have been no Moses Malone, Dennis Rodman, Andre Drummond, Tim Duncan, none of those guys would have had a role model to look up to in the rebounding game. I mean, you go look at his old stats and 40 rebounds pops up regularly. It is nuts. Russell was also a dominant low post scorer, but only did it when it was needed. He would put up points when he wanted to, or was asked. He could go for 30 with ease at any moment. But he was also the consummate team player. He did what was best for the team no matter what. If he was asked to only rebound, he did it better than anyone else. If he was asked to be a defensive force, he did it better than anyone else. If the Celtics needed scoring, Russell was more than capable of putting up massive amounts of points. He was Tim Duncan before Tim Duncan. He was the quiet superstar that did what was needed. He never cared about his own stats, he did what was best for his team. He was the antithesis to Wilt Chamberlain, another great. But, even with my disdain for the Celtics, I like Russell so much more than Chamberlain.
Bill Russell was also a very important civil rights activist. He stood up for that he believed in and spoke his mind. He did all this in an era where it could have been detrimental to his personal and professional life. But he didn't care. He felt that he needed to be a voice. People listened to him. People respected him. His fans followed him. He used his voice for all the right things. And again, to do this in the 50's and 60', that took a serious amount of guts. And Russell continued all of this in his post NBA career. He has an excellent autobiography every basketball fan should read. He was a steady presence at many NBA games, mostly Celtics games. He would give speeches at awards shows and NBA banquets. There is one of the greatest interviews I have ever seen between him and Kevin Garnett. As a fan of both, I get chills just thinking about it today. Bill Russell was a giant in so many ways. He was a great basketball player. He was an excellent person. He was an activist. He was always himself. He never put on airs.
I am bummed that Bill Russell has passed away. I will miss him. I told my son the news yesterday and even he was devastated. He is 10. That is how far Russell's reach is in the basketball and real world. Rest In Peace Bill Russell. You lived a very full and very eventful life and you will be dearly missed. Enjoy your peace.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.
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