That's how Bill Russell lived his life: as a leader. During his playing days with the Celtics, black players were denied admission to an Indiana bar and Kentucky hotel coffee shops so Russell and other players boycotted a game in Lexington.
Born as William Felton Russell on February 12, 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana, Bill Russell was destined to be a future symbol of the struggle of the entire black race. Bill Russell changed the game of basketball. He changed the role of the superstar, and the role of the black man in sports. In 1943, his family moved to Oakland where he started playing basketball. In 1952, he graduated from McClymonds High School. That summer he toured the Pacific Northwest with other All-State players. Because of his athletic ability, he got a scholarship to attend the University of San Francisco. In 1955, he led the team to the NCAA title and was named MVP. The same year, he rejected an offer to play for the Harlem Globetrotters and lead the Olympic gold medal team to victory. Also that year, he married Rose Swisher and joined the Boston Celtics. In 1957, he helped the Celtics win their first NBA title. In 1958, Russell won his first of four rebounding titles and first of five MVP awards. In 1959, he led the Celtics to the first of eight straight NBA titles. His success was a big deal because a black man led one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. That's how Bill Russell lived his life: as a leader. During his playing days with the Celtics, black players were denied admission to an Indiana bar and Kentucky hotel coffee shops so Russell and other players boycotted a game in Lexington.
In the early 1960's Russell said, " The basic problem in Negro America is the destruction of race pride. One could say we have been victims of psychological warfare, in a sense, in that this is a white country, and all the emphasis is on being white."
In 1966, he made history by becoming the first black coach in the post-depression era of any major American sport. In 1969, he retired as a successful player-coach. As an observer, it may seem as though Russell led a normal life in Boston. But there were fans that hated Bill Russell and he knew it. So in 1972 when his jersey was being retired, he didn't attend the ceremony. He also didn't attend in 1974 when he became the first black elected into the Hall of Fame. He also never gave an autograph because he felt that a handshake was worth more. No superstar had dealt with the media and the fans in this way. His conduct was more evidence to the statement that he was never a follower. At the time, it was important for blacks to look up to someone who did what he felt was right despite what others told him. Bill Russell's conduct exemplified this principal. He represents a modern hero for blacks and athletes alike.
