13 Rules: Overtime! Bill Russell

[00:00:01] [SPEAKER_00]: Alright, it's time to talk basketball. I'm Josey Salviati, editor at the PeachBasket.net.

[00:00:06] [SPEAKER_00]: He's Steve Priscielo, longtime educator by Sprinciple High School, coach and athletic director.

[00:00:12] [SPEAKER_00]: And this is the 13 Rules Random NBA Thoughts Overtime podcast.

[00:00:17] [SPEAKER_00]: We know it's on season, but there's always things to talk about.

[00:00:21] [SPEAKER_00]: And this show specifically is the one where we talk about NBA stars from the 60s, 70s and 80s.

[00:00:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Specifically!

[00:00:29] [SPEAKER_00]: Guys you've probably heard of. Guys you are no doubt familiar with, but maybe never got a chance to see play.

[00:00:37] [SPEAKER_00]: Then what's exciting about this show, at least for me, is we get to talk to Steve, who oftentimes got to see these players play.

[00:00:44] [SPEAKER_00]: And there's a difference I think between what we hear about the player, what we've come to know about this player and actually watching them play.

[00:00:51] [SPEAKER_00]: And that's what's been most eye-opening for me personally, as we've discussed some of the greats.

[00:00:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Sam Jones, Will Chamberlain, Rick Berry, Pistol Pete, Merovich.

[00:01:00] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll share a little bit about who we're talking about today in just a minute.

[00:01:03] [SPEAKER_00]: But we want to know what made these players special, right?

[00:01:08] [SPEAKER_00]: What player today most resembles that particular player's special skill

[00:01:12] [SPEAKER_00]: and what Steve's greatest memory about that particular player is.

[00:01:17] [SPEAKER_00]: Today we'll discuss the player who is often left off the goat conversation.

[00:01:24] [SPEAKER_00]: You agree or disagree with that?

[00:01:26] [SPEAKER_00]: He usually doesn't come up in the conversation, which is dominated by Michael Jordan, LeBron, Areem, Wilt, Kobe, others.

[00:01:35] [SPEAKER_00]: But he's generally known as the greatest winner in NBA history.

[00:01:39] [SPEAKER_00]: He's all a famer, five-time MVP, 12-time All-Star, four-time NBA rebounding champion, and incredibly an 11-time NBA champion.

[00:01:51] [SPEAKER_00]: Most rings ever.

[00:01:54] [SPEAKER_00]: His number six was retired by all NBA teams in 2022.

[00:01:57] [SPEAKER_00]: He is Bill Russell.

[00:02:01] [SPEAKER_00]: All right, Steve, are you ready to talk about the greatest?

[00:02:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Arguably one of the greatest centers to play the game.

[00:02:06] [SPEAKER_00]: All right, so let's start with that.

[00:02:09] [SPEAKER_00]: This is, you know, I was sharing with you just before we started.

[00:02:12] [SPEAKER_00]: This is kind of the quintessential player for me because I never got to see him play, but I feel like I know him.

[00:02:19] [SPEAKER_00]: He was always at the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.

[00:02:23] [SPEAKER_00]: You know, when he was alive, he was given away trophies for the NBA.

[00:02:28] [SPEAKER_00]: He was a great ambassador for the NBA, so I knew him, but I never got to watch him play.

[00:02:33] [SPEAKER_00]: I just heard stories.

[00:02:34] [SPEAKER_00]: So let me start with the big general question.

[00:02:38] [SPEAKER_00]: What made Bill Russell so special?

[00:02:41] [SPEAKER_01]: He won everywhere he went.

[00:02:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Boom.

[00:02:44] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, you go through his life in college two years in a row.

[00:02:47] [SPEAKER_01]: They won the NCAA title and he was the most valuable player in the tournament.

[00:02:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Then he went to the Olympics captain of the team.

[00:02:56] [SPEAKER_01]: They won there in 56.

[00:02:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Then he went to the Celtics at 11 out of 13 years.

[00:03:01] [SPEAKER_01]: And you could talk about that for a while.

[00:03:04] [SPEAKER_01]: But the thing you'll say the second year they didn't win it is second year in the league.

[00:03:07] [SPEAKER_01]: He had a bad ankle and he played game seven, but he was hurt against Bob Pettit and the Hawks.

[00:03:14] [SPEAKER_01]: And then they the only real loss was to Philadelphia and Philadelphia had a great team in 66, 67 season with Will.

[00:03:23] [SPEAKER_01]: That was the only real was to rest at a time those other 11 years they wanted.

[00:03:29] [SPEAKER_01]: But the last two years that he wanted to play at the NBA and the last two years they won it as a coach.

[00:03:33] [SPEAKER_01]: But there was a lot more to Russell.

[00:03:35] [SPEAKER_01]: First of all, he was born in Louisiana and his father, his mother passed his father moved the family to Oakland.

[00:03:43] [SPEAKER_01]: His father worked as a trucker driving.

[00:03:46] [SPEAKER_01]: But he grew up there.

[00:03:48] [SPEAKER_01]: And like a lot of great players, he wasn't real good as a kid.

[00:03:52] [SPEAKER_01]: He was gangly and had a little problem.

[00:03:55] [SPEAKER_01]: And then as time went on, things came together and the USF University of San Francisco is the school of recruiter.

[00:04:01] [SPEAKER_01]: One a lot of other schools passed on it or didn't even know about it.

[00:04:06] [SPEAKER_01]: He had his teammate at at USF was a guy by the name of Casey Jones, who ended up playing with him for many years with the Celtics.

[00:04:14] [SPEAKER_01]: And not a pretty good career also all the fame career.

[00:04:17] [SPEAKER_01]: But he he he came from that Olympics that did a Celtics and then continuously won they won eight straight titles.

[00:04:25] [SPEAKER_01]: After that second year, making it nine and then Red Arbac retires.

[00:04:31] [SPEAKER_01]: And he makes Russell the coach.

[00:04:33] [SPEAKER_01]: And the first year of Russell as a coach, they don't win.

[00:04:37] [SPEAKER_01]: They in fact gained five against Philly.

[00:04:40] [SPEAKER_01]: They lost in five to Philly that year.

[00:04:43] [SPEAKER_01]: The people was in Philly were yelling with more or less the dynasty is over and all that stuff.

[00:04:48] [SPEAKER_01]: And you know, and they Philly scored 140 points that game.

[00:04:52] [SPEAKER_01]: And they really blew the Celtics out.

[00:04:55] [SPEAKER_01]: Russell being the class actually was after the game went into the locker room and shook Will's hand and all and said how great he was.

[00:05:02] [SPEAKER_01]: But then Russell became in the next two years as the coach, they won titles.

[00:05:08] [SPEAKER_01]: And the first one was amazing because they were losing three to one against Philly in the playoffs again.

[00:05:16] [SPEAKER_01]: And they won the last three.

[00:05:18] [SPEAKER_01]: And in the last game, Wilt only took two shots in the second half and Boston beat him 100 to 96 where Russell made a couple key plays down the stretch to win it for Boston.

[00:05:30] [SPEAKER_01]: Now as a kid, I was not able to see that on TV like everything is on TV today.

[00:05:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I listened to that my little transistor radio and I listened to how the announcers were amazed that Wilt only took two shot in the game.

[00:05:46] [SPEAKER_01]: Boston then went into the finals, beat the Lakers like they always did.

[00:05:50] [SPEAKER_01]: They beat him in six.

[00:05:51] [SPEAKER_01]: And then the next year, Russell's last year in the NBA, Boston was a broken down team.

[00:05:57] [SPEAKER_01]: They finished the season 48 and 34 beat up really worn down.

[00:06:03] [SPEAKER_01]: Russell was out for little stretches, had some great games when he did play still average 19 rebounds a game which I'll get to about rebounding.

[00:06:11] [SPEAKER_01]: But they were in trouble.

[00:06:13] [SPEAKER_01]: They go into the playoffs.

[00:06:14] [SPEAKER_01]: They beat Philadelphia in the first one, I believe in five.

[00:06:17] [SPEAKER_01]: And then the next the upstart next with Frazier and Reed and the busher.

[00:06:21] [SPEAKER_01]: They beat them in six again Boston 48 wins goes to the finals against the Lakers.

[00:06:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Now the Lakers had three superstars, Baylor West and Chamberlain who was traded by Philly after they lost the year before when he wanted out.

[00:06:38] [SPEAKER_01]: So now the Lakers were super.

[00:06:40] [SPEAKER_01]: The Lakers got off one the first two.

[00:06:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Boston came back one the last two the next two when we talked about Sam Jones making that shot to win game.

[00:06:51] [SPEAKER_01]: Game five Lakers win brought back to Boston.

[00:06:54] [SPEAKER_01]: It was on I believe it was on the game of the week.

[00:06:57] [SPEAKER_01]: It was on Saturday afternoon on the wide world of sports, I believe.

[00:07:02] [SPEAKER_01]: But that's when Sam Jones got an ovation because he was retiring and everybody know that would be his last home game.

[00:07:09] [SPEAKER_01]: Boston wins that game.

[00:07:10] [SPEAKER_01]: They go back to Philly.

[00:07:11] [SPEAKER_01]: That's the famous game where in the fourth quarter Boston was winning big Jerry West led them back wilt with about five minutes left.

[00:07:19] [SPEAKER_01]: Said he heard his knee came out and tell us came in and played will then said he was could come back in the Lakers were coming back again by with Jerry West.

[00:07:30] [SPEAKER_01]: And it was a close game and then Don Nelson made almost after 24 second buzzer made an incredible shot from right around the following.

[00:07:39] [SPEAKER_01]: It hit the back rim when straight up and came straight down and one went in Boston held on to win in the forum, which Jack can call had a bunch of balloons ready for the celebration.

[00:07:53] [SPEAKER_01]: The last piece to that one of my favorite parts is right on back with a cigar after the game being interviewed looking up at the sky blowing smoke saying what are they going to do with those balloons left about the Lakers.

[00:08:06] [SPEAKER_01]: That was the last the next thing we knew in August.

[00:08:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Bill Russell retired.

[00:08:13] [SPEAKER_01]: I believe he sold the piece I believe in sport.

[00:08:15] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what sport magazine or something about his retirement he was done he had nothing else and probably the right time because the team and he were on their last legs that championship in 69 had a guy by the name and Brian playing the point who really was a journeyman.

[00:08:32] [SPEAKER_01]: And Bailey Howell who was a whole favor but near the end of his career and John Havlicek who's great and just coming into his own that vessel called him the greatest player he ever he ever saw.

[00:08:43] [SPEAKER_01]: But but that was basic and Sam Jones who's at the end of his career.

[00:08:48] [SPEAKER_01]: So here they are.

[00:08:49] [SPEAKER_01]: This beat up team.

[00:08:52] [SPEAKER_01]: 48 wins beating the wanted Lakers with all that you know those three superstars which was an incredible credible upset and a great way to end the tremendous career.

[00:09:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Now I know this is a talk about our discussion around Bill Russell and I don't want to deviate from that at all but I am in Los Angeles.

[00:09:14] [SPEAKER_00]: And I do have to.

[00:09:16] [SPEAKER_00]: I got to put on my Lakers half for just a second or I have for just a second.

[00:09:20] [SPEAKER_00]: I watched that game after you and I have talked about it before so I watched the fourth quarter.

[00:09:27] [SPEAKER_00]: And first up I was having never really watched the game as a fan.

[00:09:32] [SPEAKER_00]: You know for a game from the 1960s as a fan it was it was it was eye opening to me how good the ball was.

[00:09:38] [SPEAKER_00]: Definitely different but these were you know the whole plumbers and and thing that did your red X just goes out the door if you watch a game.

[00:09:47] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean this was a talented basketball team Celtics were out big going into the final quarter and then Jerry West did amazing Jerry West things in the fourth.

[00:09:57] [SPEAKER_00]: And if there was a three point line Lakers would have won that number one.

[00:10:00] [SPEAKER_00]: I think number two you said Don Nelson made an incredible shot.

[00:10:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Was it incredible or was it like what's the difference.

[00:10:12] [SPEAKER_01]: The winners would say incredible the losers would say why.

[00:10:17] [SPEAKER_00]: All right that's fair.

[00:10:19] [SPEAKER_00]: All right spare.

[00:10:20] [SPEAKER_00]: I wasn't sure what kind of response I would get but as usual I got a very very timely quick and appropriate response that's bear.

[00:10:30] [SPEAKER_00]: All right I got to ask you this.

[00:10:32] [SPEAKER_00]: You readle off some incredible numbers eight wins in a row 11 rings and him being a player coach real question do you think we'll ever see that any of those three again.

[00:10:43] [SPEAKER_01]: No never see a player coach back then Russell was by himself.

[00:10:48] [SPEAKER_01]: There was no assistant now if you look at an NBA bench it goes two rows back you'll you'll never you'll never see that.

[00:10:56] [SPEAKER_01]: It's just it's a thing in the past basketball now is way more broken down defensively and offensively.

[00:11:04] [SPEAKER_01]: There's more things going on where Russell really relied on his teammates in a large amount of ways during timeouts and all he did things that they you know the day suggested especially the veterans that were with him for many years.

[00:11:22] [SPEAKER_01]: That doesn't go on today.

[00:11:23] [SPEAKER_01]: Now this tendons she's everything's broken down film is broken down to an extent that you know every team has got those the plays another team will use in the last second.

[00:11:35] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean the coaching is way beyond what it was then so I don't see how a player coach could possibly do both.

[00:11:43] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[00:11:45] [SPEAKER_00]: No agreed.

[00:11:47] [SPEAKER_00]: The next thing that you know as you were talking came to mind and as a fan I'm really curious right we hear a lot about well versus Bill Russell and Bill Russell talked about it will talk about it.

[00:11:59] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I think everybody was a fan of the game talked about it so I'm going to ask you you've seen these guys literally playing against each other which is pretty cool.

[00:12:07] [SPEAKER_00]: Did was there was there did one dominate the other.

[00:12:14] [SPEAKER_00]: Was it 5050.

[00:12:16] [SPEAKER_00]: What kind of rivalry was it really well dominated well dominated everybody.

[00:12:22] [SPEAKER_01]: But but Russell somehow always figured out how to win the game.

[00:12:27] [SPEAKER_01]: And I know a lot of people would say Boston had better teams they did for many years, not the last two years.

[00:12:33] [SPEAKER_01]: And you know and they still beat them.

[00:12:37] [SPEAKER_01]: I you know we can get into willed in the mind of willed.

[00:12:41] [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think will was concerned about winning is likely the best way to put it where Russell was consumed by winning.

[00:12:49] [SPEAKER_01]: You know I was looking something before.

[00:12:51] [SPEAKER_01]: It's very interesting.

[00:12:53] [SPEAKER_01]: Russell averaged and not average but in 10 times he averaged over 1020 rebounds a game will did it a bunch of times as well.

[00:13:04] [SPEAKER_01]: Think about that for a while.

[00:13:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Nobody has averaged for the season over 20 rebounds a game since well then in 69.

[00:13:14] [SPEAKER_01]: So it tells you how dominant these two were.

[00:13:18] [SPEAKER_01]: Russell just had a knack for doing the right thing at the right time coming up big defensively making the big block keeping the ball on the court and that's been talked about a lot.

[00:13:28] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's a very important thing because now a lot of guys will block it but very dramatically and it'll go into the stands.

[00:13:35] [SPEAKER_01]: Russell kept it on the court his team would get a break going and score.

[00:13:39] [SPEAKER_01]: Russell was not a good shooter at all.

[00:13:42] [SPEAKER_01]: Had a lefty hook coming across the lane but it wasn't great average foul shooter at best scored a lot of points as a trailer on the break did things along that line and made him you know competitive offensively wasn't the guy they went to score.

[00:13:59] [SPEAKER_01]: They never did that Sam Jones and I will check they had a bunch of people beside him that can score so he did all the things that had to be done.

[00:14:07] [SPEAKER_01]: Don Nelson's interesting thing about him a while back.

[00:14:11] [SPEAKER_01]: Some stars show it's about themselves and make themselves better.

[00:14:17] [SPEAKER_01]: Russell was a star but he made everybody else better.

[00:14:21] [SPEAKER_01]: And that's an interesting way to look at it and think about it because again now if you think about this Don Nelson in his professional career was average.

[00:14:32] [SPEAKER_01]: But because he played with that team his numbers been retired too.

[00:14:35] [SPEAKER_01]: So it tells you how Russell can make someone better on those teams.

[00:14:43] [SPEAKER_01]: By the way he lifetime MVP.

[00:14:47] [SPEAKER_01]: I mean think about these things that he did.

[00:14:49] [SPEAKER_01]: They're just incredible and we didn't get his post basketball life which we could talk about in a second.

[00:14:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[00:14:58] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah let's hold off on that for a minute because I'm looking at the numbers right now.

[00:15:03] [SPEAKER_00]: You're right right 10 times over 20 rebounds there were three times in his career three seasons his career we didn't average 20.

[00:15:10] [SPEAKER_00]: No season he average 19.6 19.3 and 18.6.

[00:15:17] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean so it's unbelievable in his career he average 22.5 rebounds per game which is staggering just absolutely.

[00:15:26] [SPEAKER_01]: Today's NBA and today's NBA that's unheard of.

[00:15:29] [SPEAKER_01]: If somebody gets 20 rebounds in a game now they want to throw a parade for him.

[00:15:34] [SPEAKER_01]: So you know it's a whole different whole different game and the whole thing I was looking at some Dennis Rodman I think had 18 one year he averaged 18 so that was you know I guess the best in the modern year.

[00:15:50] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah yeah and I remember we did exactly that right when Dennis Rodman you know had those 18 boards we you know we you throw out a red.

[00:15:59] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean in beat Staggreen and this was just a Tuesday afternoon for somebody like like Bill Russell we're going to go ahead and play some highlights of him.

[00:16:07] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll just leave him in the background.

[00:16:08] [SPEAKER_00]: I want to ask you probably my favorite question in this podcast and that is who rich player today most resembles what we're on the screen right now.

[00:16:23] [SPEAKER_00]: Is there anybody is it is it a mixture of multiple players.

[00:16:27] [SPEAKER_00]: Who is Bill Russell today.

[00:16:29] [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to say Mutombo.

[00:16:32] [SPEAKER_01]: But it wasn't nearly as good or effective but he played the same type of game was all defensively.

[00:16:38] [SPEAKER_01]: He draw you know he was able to walk shots he was also a great rebound and that was what you know what Russell did by the way you show in clips here and it's just something I didn't mention.

[00:16:49] [SPEAKER_01]: Watch his ability to get a fair sprake on a rebound.

[00:16:52] [SPEAKER_01]: He gets rid of the ball what was shown she'll used to get credit for that.

[00:16:56] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah gets the ball as quickly as anybody is offensive moves as you just saw were awkward but but he just he got it done offensively.

[00:17:06] [SPEAKER_01]: But he just I guess just a great you know just a tremendous player.

[00:17:12] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah a winner bottom line.

[00:17:14] [SPEAKER_00]: So OK let's but before we get to his post basketball career do you have a favorite memory.

[00:17:21] [SPEAKER_00]: I know you talked a lot about the 16 19 p.m. ship and what that meant is there an individual play or something that stuck out that you you got to see that really impacted you and your memory of Bill Russell.

[00:17:32] [SPEAKER_01]: Two things growing up it seemed like every Sunday the NBA was only on on Sunday and TV and it's not like today we didn't have Boston games.

[00:17:40] [SPEAKER_01]: No matter what you live I lived in the Jersey area.

[00:17:43] [SPEAKER_01]: But what you would get on Sundays was Boston and Philly with will was in the 60s just it seemed like every Sunday it wasn't obviously but it seemed back then they played eight nine times a year teams.

[00:17:56] [SPEAKER_01]: They would play and it would just be fun to watch the two of them go at it and they were great games.

[00:18:02] [SPEAKER_01]: I remember that well the thing I do remember and I think I mentioned to you in 16 and Russell was old.

[00:18:10] [SPEAKER_01]: He had been hurt now for about a week he was you know I think they went into the hospital.

[00:18:15] [SPEAKER_01]: But anyway he came back on a Sunday in a game on TV against Philadelphia Philadelphia didn't I didn't have will.

[00:18:22] [SPEAKER_01]: Boston was a struggling team fourth place they came in that year in the regular season.

[00:18:28] [SPEAKER_01]: Russell came out you know and played the game first in a couple weeks didn't play real well but what about a minute left it was either Archie Clark or Wally Jones had a layer.

[00:18:37] [SPEAKER_01]: Russell was trailing at full speed and came out of it was a one point game he made a block left handed block.

[00:18:44] [SPEAKER_01]: Clark was on the right side.

[00:18:46] [SPEAKER_01]: What did Boston got it scored won the game off of that block and it was like in my mind I'm saying oh my god this guy he's all these in he's hurt all the time you know it's near the end and he comes out of nowhere and does that he still got something left and then little did I know they went on and won that playoff series which was the last you know his last hurrah.

[00:19:08] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[00:19:10] [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah it's it's it's tough right for a player to know when it's time to call it quits and to be able to do it at the top of the mountain like Bill Russell did I think it's pretty you know pretty incredible not just as a champion but as a player coach.

[00:19:26] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean it's unbelievable.

[00:19:28] [SPEAKER_00]: All right let's finish with this then you know.

[00:19:31] [SPEAKER_00]: It was a different era right and there was a lot going on just like there is today and you know it and before I forgive me for kind of bouncing around here but one of the things I got to call out in that video we just showed was that clean a block from behind.

[00:19:49] [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what was was going up or layup but he thought he had all the time in the world and it was a classic kind of LeBron asked.

[00:19:57] [SPEAKER_00]: Blocked from behind which you know and again this goes back to what I said before right the whole thing about plumbers and I mean that's garbage I mean these guys were absolute studs and you've got to watch some of the highlights of those games to really appreciate what they did so that being said.

[00:20:13] [SPEAKER_00]: Tell me about his life after the NBA I think it would have been you know from what I gather from Bill Russell he wasn't necessarily you know a guy who I love the spotlight you know I would think I would have thought you know you retired and you just go and get a nice little place in your own town maybe do a little

[00:20:30] [SPEAKER_00]: fishing and chill but that's not the approach he took.

[00:20:34] [SPEAKER_01]: First of all he in 1961 he was still playing the team went to Lexington Kentucky for a pre-season game and he found out I think to it a Celtic Sanders and maybe Sam Jones I'm not sure but weren't being served in the motel.

[00:20:52] [SPEAKER_01]: Well because they were black and what did Russell do he told Lauerback what went on there and they flew home they didn't play all the black players told you where he stood and what he believed in now he played in Boston Mrs Wilde.

[00:21:10] [SPEAKER_01]: Now if you watch a game with Boston they're people screaming back then they were really averaging eight nine thousand people in the game and don't forget he was part of the first black starting team ever in the NBA.

[00:21:24] [SPEAKER_01]: So in Boston which never had a great racial reputation there was a lot of backlash so he played through that career he did coach Seattle for a couple years and and Sacramento but more importantly.

[00:21:40] [SPEAKER_01]: He got involved heavily in the civil rights he was at one with the King's I had a dream.

[00:21:45] [SPEAKER_01]: Speech in fact he was invited to be back the age or be but he did not he refused it was Kings Day I think he stayed in the crowd.

[00:21:54] [SPEAKER_01]: But more importantly Muhammad Ali in the in the late in 67 Muhammad Ali was wouldn't wouldn't go to Vietnam and he was not going to kill no Vietnamese.

[00:22:09] [SPEAKER_01]: But anyway what happened was there was a in Cleveland there was a summit he a young Karim Jabbar or Lulao Sunder at the time with Jim Brown and himself.

[00:22:25] [SPEAKER_01]: Doc Dalian this and there was a famous thing that went on so so Russell was heavily involved in the whole racial thing for many years and by the way with Boston tried to retire his number he wouldn't show up he finally showed up.

[00:22:43] [SPEAKER_01]: What 50 years after but they retired it without him there because he didn't he felt the only played for his teammates so Russell he also received the presidential Medal of Honor from President Obama a couple years ago.

[00:22:59] [SPEAKER_01]: So Russell had this career where he was also a civil rights person he also and he was outspoken about it the other piece that's very interesting when the mailing you know black athletes kneeling.

[00:23:12] [SPEAKER_01]: Russell did a tweet with him kneeling saying I take a knee for those athletes so he was supportive right to the end of his life and was heavily involved in that there's a picture of those the athletes at all.

[00:23:27] [SPEAKER_01]: And if you notice Russell's down at the bottom next to next to Ali so you know it tells you a little bit man there they are with Ali and it's ironic Ali was six two or six three look how much bigger the two of them Jabbar.

[00:23:40] [SPEAKER_01]: Right over so what is again Russell was right in the middle of that there's so many stories that that you know illustrate that that whole thing.

[00:23:52] [SPEAKER_01]: So not only was he a great basketball player but he also lived a great life.

[00:23:58] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.

[00:24:00] [SPEAKER_00]: I can't think of a better way to really end that.

[00:24:05] [SPEAKER_00]: I mean this is incredibly powerful you know it's one thing to be great at you know what you do it's another thing altogether to take that celebrity that you get from being great and do something good with that.

[00:24:17] [SPEAKER_00]: And you know it's a personal decision.

[00:24:20] [SPEAKER_00]: You know you could argue whether you know celebrities today should or shouldn't whatever but Bill Russell did and I think he left an incredible impact not just in the NBA but you know across the board here we are.

[00:24:32] [SPEAKER_00]: You know we're talking about games played in the 1960s it's 2024 and we're still talking about Bill Russell or never.

[00:24:38] [SPEAKER_01]: One more thing for the arts.

[00:24:41] [SPEAKER_01]: He hosted Shadden the Night Live in the late 70s.

[00:24:45] [SPEAKER_01]: He just rounds him out in so many ways which I had to mention.

[00:24:50] [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah a little bit of acting when he retired from the NBA he did a little bit of acting but I believe he said something like he didn't get a lot of work.

[00:24:57] [SPEAKER_01]: He said there's not many you know there's not many roles for a six nine black guy.

[00:25:02] [SPEAKER_01]: So and I guess he was right.

[00:25:05] [SPEAKER_01]: He gave that up but he was in a few TV shows and different things back then.

[00:25:09] [SPEAKER_00]: That's awesome.

[00:25:10] [SPEAKER_00]: If I can find that link I will make sure to link it below because I can't think of a better way to spend you know 30 minutes or an hour watching then watching SNL with Bill Russell.

[00:25:20] [SPEAKER_00]: That would be kind of interesting.

[00:25:22] [SPEAKER_00]: Alright man well that's it very very incredible fascinating this is such a fun show.

[00:25:27] [SPEAKER_00]: I hope you enjoyed learning more about Bill Russell.

[00:25:30] [SPEAKER_00]: If you have someone you want to talk about you want to hear Steve's thoughts on please let us know if we don't hear from you we're going to pick somebody.

[00:25:38] [SPEAKER_00]: We're rattled off the folks that we have already talked about Sam Jones Rick Berry pistol Pete and of course we'll chamberlater now Bill Russell.

[00:25:46] [SPEAKER_00]: We'll be back next week to discuss someone else make sure to like subscribe that stuff matters to us and we're grateful for it.

[00:25:54] [SPEAKER_00]: You can find all the past episodes on the peach basket net and make sure to add us so that you don't miss any movie forward.

[00:26:02] [SPEAKER_00]: Appreciate the time Steve I look forward to next week.

[00:26:04] [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you.