Bill Russell

Russell shooting a freethrowNBA“Success is a result of consistent practice of winning skills and actions. There is nothing miraculous about the process. There is no luck involved.” - Bill Russell. And if anybody knew anything about winning, it was Bill Russell, having won the most championships in NBA history with 11. “Bill Russell was an unlikely superstar. Lanky and shy, he came into the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a center for the Boston Celtics and remained with that team for the duration of his playing career”. Having won 11 championships, and the most in NBA history, it would be an understatement to call him a star in the NBA. Especially considering nobody else has won nearly as many rings. “Even so he retained a readiness to criticize racist practices in the NBA and deep respect for his accomplishments on the basketball court. In his memoir Go Up for Glory, Russell wrote: "I should epitomize the American Dream, for I came, against long odds, from the farthest back to the very top of my profession. I came ... from an oppressed minority--first in rural poverty and then from a city's ghetto. I had to persevere to succeed, to climb out of the life that society had programmed for me." Russell was awarded the Medal of Freedom in 2011 and was honored with a bronze statue in 2013.” His ability to come up from nothing shows that he had to persevere through everything in his life. He came up from nearly nothing and “epitomized the American Dream.” His success story was a real inspiration to not only the youth of America but the African-American youth. Considering that Russell played through the 1930’s and beyond, he lived in a time of severe racism, and was a hero, in risking everything he had to criticize racist practices throughout the NBA, and to participate in Civil Rights marches, and more. To be a hero, one must possess determination, unselfishness, and be an inspiration to those suffering. To be determined means never to give up, even when the odds aren’t in one’s favor, to persist, and persevere through rough times and succeed. And this success story is what becomes inspirational. Bill Russell, grew up in terrible conditions, but he endured through. A hero must be unselfish, and do things for the greater good of others, even if it hurts them. Bill Russell criticized racist practices, in one of the most racist times. He risked his successful career, to share his voice that many others didn’t have. And his story, and what was done with his life, is what became an inspiration. He is an inspiration to the youth of America and an inspiration to African-Americans all over the world. Bill Russell is a hero who has acted unselfishly and been an inspiration through his civil rights journey, his revolutionization of the game of basketball, and his constant perseverance throughout his life.

Russell looking to block the ballNBA      The first reason Bill Russell was a hero because he changed the way the game was played. Basketball used to be a game of small, quick guards. The 6 foot 10 inch, Bill Russell, was something the game had never seen. “But even as his body was still growing, Russell had already started to use his greatest weapon—his mind—to reimagine the game. Until the 1950s, the thinking about basketball defense had been that a defender should stay flat-footed. If he left his feet, an offensive player could drive by him and draw a foul. Russell began to experiment by jumping to block shots. Even though his coaches tried to stop him at first, he kept at it and started to see that this new, airborne style could completely disrupt an opposing team’s offense and psyche.” Back then, when the game was consistent of guards, it was unheard of for people to jump off the ground for defense. It was thought that doing that, would make it easier for the opponent to draw a foul, and get easy points. However, Bill Russell re-imagined the game in ways that people had not heard of. He started blocking shots, and disrupting shots, by jumping. Bill Russell, not only created the “block,” but he popularized it. The block is a critical stat in determining whether a player is a reliable rim protector. It made teams much better on the defensive ends and made the game more exciting. Now, the youth of America works on jumping as high as they can to block shots, and Bill Russell is the reason for that. In the 1950’s it was also unheard of players playing for their teams, as opposed to playing for themselves. “During his dynamic career, Russell left his mark as the most significant defensive player in the history of the NBA. He was a complete team player and a highly effective rebounder with a leviathan jumper. Before Russell, it was unheard of in the NBA for a player to position himself strictly to block opposing scorers and without concern for sinking baskets.” Bill Russell was a team player. He didn’t care about points and individual stats. He cared about changing the game so his team could win. His focus was on the defensive end, so his teammates could focus more on the offensive. And it is clear, when he ended up winning the most championships in NBA history, without having the best individual stats at the time. Bill Russell revolutionized the game in a way that made it a less selfish sport. Players looking up to Bill realized that they could indeed impact the game, just by having a superior defensive game. They could be successful by jumping up to block shots and play defensive. They didn't need to focus on scoring to win. And that is a mentality, that has carried through generations to now. Overall, in the 1950’s Bill Russell affected the game in ways that people couldn’t imagine. He changed it to a style of basketball, where people jump to block shots. He turned it into an idea, where people don’t care about individual stats, but the team winning. Bill Russell made people see basketball from a different lens, and that is indeed something special.

Oakland Public LibraryOakland      Bill Russell was also a hero because he was an inspiration to all of America. Many of us know Bill Russell as the NBA superstar of the past, that has won more championships than he has fingers. However, those 11 rings didn’t come easy.  “ In 1946, Russell’s mother died after a brief illness. Russell and his mother had been very close, and her death changed him. He lost his confidence, became shy and withdrawn, and spent hours reading in the Oakland Public Library.” Bill Russell had a life-changing event, just a few years before his NBA career. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good one. Bill Russell was very close to his mom and was a completely changed person. He became shy, and withdrawn, and lost all confidence that he had. Confidence is a key trait to have in the game of basketball. Bill Russell turned this traumatic experience, to motivation. He used it to work harder, and play harder to achieve his dreams. This event was such a big deal to him that it completely changed him as a person. He used it to motivate him to succeed.

Bill Russell Is the Only African-American On His TeamNBABill Russell also had very little to go off of, when he was young. He didn’t have the resources for one to truly thrive as a basketball player. “Bill was not very athletic as a youngster. He tried out for the McClymonds High School football and basketball teams but did not make either one. Finally, George Powles, coach of the junior varsity basketball team, invited Bill to join his squad. Even then, Bill did not play very much and he had to share a jersey with another player. On his own, Powles gave the painfully skinny Russell two dollars to join the Boys' Club and practice basketball.” Bill wasn’t even a great basketball player, for the majority of his career. He didn’t make his basketball team, or football team, growing up. Russell finally got an invitation for a JV team, but barely played and even had to share his jersey with another player. He was hardly a decent player. However, Bill worked hard to prove all the doubters wrong. He turned getting cut from his high school team, into a bench-warmer role for his high school, to a stellar career in the NBA. To conclude, Bill Russell has come up from very little and suffered a lot. However, it was his hard work that pushed him. When his mom passed away, it changed his life. However, he didn’t let that stop him. He still worked hard. He got cut from his high school football, and basketball team. But that didn’t stop him. He found a spot on the bottom of a JV high school team and worked his way into the NBA.

Bill Russell participated in the March on WashingtonMarch on Washington      The final reason Bill Russell is a hero is that of his role in the Civil Rights Movement. Bill Russell played basketball in a racist time, during escalations in racism in America, and the killings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. “We foolishly lionize athletes and make them heroes because they can hit a ball or catch one,” Russell said. “The only athletes we should bother with attaching any particular importance to are those like [Muhammad] Ali, whom we can admire for themselves and not for their incidental athletic abilities.” Bill Russell is undoubtedly one of the greatest athletes of all time. And he claims that we should admire people for themselves and not their athletic abilities. This statement was extremely unselfish for somebody of Bill’s stature. He had achieved what most hadn’t dreamed of as an athlete. However, as an athlete, he believes that it’s the people who have accomplished something like a hero, and civil rights hero such as Muhammad Ali. In his time, there were also racist practices in the NBA itself. Even so, he retained a readiness to criticize racist practices in the NBA and deep respect for his accomplishments on the basketball court. In his memoir Go Up for Glory, Russell wrote: "I should epitomize the American Dream, for I came, against long odds, from the farthest back to the very top of my profession. I came ... from an oppressed minority--first in rural poverty and then from a city's ghetto. I had to persevere to succeed, to climb out of the life that society had programmed for me." Russell was awarded the Medal of Freedom in 2011 and was honored with a bronze statue in 2013. Bill had achieved what African Americans throughout America could never have dreamed of. However, he still risked his career in criticizing racist practices in the NBA. It’s because he understood what it was like to come from nothing and to come for an oppressed minority. This won him the Medal of Freedom in 2011, and a bronze statue. His belief in Civil Rights went as far as risking his job. Bill Russell is a hero, who grew up as an oppressed minority. He came up from nothing and made it big as an NBA superstar. Bill achieved what most couldn’t have dreamt of. And he risked it all to criticize racist practices and make his opinion known. He was a legitimate Civil Rights hero.

Russell Winning Medal Of FreedomNBA      Many of us know Bill Russell as a fantastic athlete. And that is true. He changed the way the game was played. He influenced the youth of America through his achievements, and lead others as a hero in the Civil Rights movement. Bill Russell came up from the ghetto. His mom passed away when he was little. He got cut from his school’s football and basketball team. He barely played on another JV team. Bill Russell achieved success at a significant cost. It took dedication and hard work to reach it. And it was inspiring for not only the youth of America but for the African-Americans of America. Before his career, the defense was played differently. It was a different league. One was supposed to play flat-footed, and stay on the ground. 6 and 5-foot guards comprised the NBA. The tall, and lanky Bill Russell was something the league had never seen. He proved that you could be a big-man and lead your team to success. This success earned him a voice. He had to use it carefully, however. It was a very racist time, and Bill was African-American. However, he risked his career to criticize racist practices and be a voice for those without one. Bill Russell inspires me because he proves one can turn nothing into something. He came up from nothing and achieved success. Russell revolutionized basketball. He changed the game. And he inspired America with his movement in Civil Rights. He pushed forward a campaign, that is still relevant in today's culture. Greatest of all time? Questionable. Amazing athlete? Certainly. A hero? Absolutely. Bill Russell is a hero to basketball, a hero to the youth of America, a hero to the Civil Rights movement, and a hero to me. He influenced our world in so many ways and is undoubtedly a real hero in today's world.