Bill Russell 1966 NBA Playoffs and Season Clips

[@Dom2k16]

What a competitor, we need more defensive minded players in today's NBA.

[@15h73]

Dom2k I love your videos

[@PoliticusRex632]

The NBA won't allow that.

[@Batstrike4]

Russell was a defensive beast and a great passer. Dude could also run the floor. Insane big man.

[@larrydalobster3548]

He created offense through his defense, and he's such a clean shot blocker and valued team success more than anything I love Russell and what he did I hate to see people today disrespect those who came before us

[@BD-uw1kq]

Probably the 2nd greatest athlete to ever play in the NBA, behind only Wilt.

[@ripseantaylor6147]

"The way I play . My team wins " Period

[@timhoward5]

*One of the best quotes in sports ever, "The way I play, my team wins."*

[@sambeezy007]

That's the best quote imo. #2 is Vince Carters "I don't want to be the next MJ. I want to be the first me."

[@paulsilas9070]

So much respect for the great Bill Russell.

[@rolexmarcelo3218]

Thank you wilt archives! Bill Russell -- GOAT. everyone downplays his rings. And yet he's the only one in ANY SPORT who has achieved this much with the greatest consistency. He will dominate in any era.

[@abrahammitchell5599]

The real goat

[@BD-uw1kq]

Russell would still get 20+ rebounds every game and get 8 blocks and probably triple his scoring average if magically transported into this league today.

[@southwest1988]

Bill Russell will always be my favorite!

[@lloydkline6946]

Very ,very Underated scoring basketball player

[@timhoward5]

One of my favorites as well.

[@sambeezy007]

@@lloydkline6946 Yeah. When he was supposed to score he did. In 1 game he scored 30 points along with 40 rebounds

[@guardedsoulz7826]

Bill completely changed the Game. High IQ, but had an excellent physique, stamina and the athleticism to do all he did. Boston does not win 11 Chips without him at the helm.

[@pookyman12]

30 year Lakers fan here, R.I.P. top 10 all time Great Bill Russell!

[@altonweaver7757]

Truly the greatest-EVER!

[@thunder8590]

Greatest defensive player ever. Easily. Lethal player and scored a bunch when needed. He could stick guards. He made Celtics unbeatable

[@RyanLBrown9396]

As a born and raised Laker fan, I know I'm supposed to despise any and everything Celtics related, but hell with that. Bill Russell is one of the most admired and respected men on this planet. I look up to him and admire him for the way he carried himself as a player and as a human being, being an African American during that time period. Him, Ali, Jackie Robinson and Jim Brown are my idols. I hope to someday meet Mr Russell and shake his hand. God bless bill Russell

[@FoodForThought356]

Thank you so much for keeping alive the memories of the great and sadly, of recent times, late basketball players. Bill Russell was simply one of the greatest winning minds to ever play the game. Yes, he had a team of all stars/HOF's behind him, but his desire to win was unmatched and filtered down to his teammates. Throwing up before nearly every game? Which sport stars today do that? He had the same obsessive winning mentality of Jordan, only he predated him by 20 years. It's incredible to think Russell, one of the few left from that golden era, is still alive at 82. I only wish Chamberlain was too. Another superb video, thank you for taking the time and putting in the effort to make them. Please keeping them coming.

[@sambeaumont395]

Ever wonder if those teammates were only All-Stars and HoFers as a result of being Russell’s teammates... so many players of that era are forgotten simply because they didn’t win.

[@ogi618]

still alive at 88

[@FoodForThought356]

@@ogi618 Thank you for highlighting this 5 years later my man, I'd forgotten I'd commented!

[@ogi618]

@@FoodForThought356 nah sry but its defo incredible to think that they played when the game was still being discovered and were able to just watch it develop from decade to decade

[@ogi618]

@@FoodForThought356 he just died rest in peace

[@tonylouis6072]

I don't think he gets enough credit. He might be the real GOAT yes ahead of Mike. The man who had the secrets to winning more than anyone else and put them to use greater than anyone else. Also, think about what he was enduring in his day-to-day life on top of all that. A real-life mythical figure

[@beenizz5102]

Mike is not a benchmark that should be assumed you have to be ahead of to be considered the goat. Several guys are greater overall players than him. And Wilt is the undisputed goat objectively beyond all bias brainwash and opinions Bill Russell is the only guy who comes close via his insane rebounding and shot blocking and stealing ability combined with ability to score in the post and run the fastbreak which is enough to be considered 2nd best when u combine it with the first 3 things he does so greatly

[@porkfrog2785]

athletically, reminiscent of Kevin Garnett. FAST, super-quick first step, great lateral movement, long and lean but strong as hell. Big reach on Russell, don't know if Garnett had that kinda reach

[@PoliticusRex632]

Yes, KG did. He loved Bill Russell.

[@youngblood4127]

Athletically & intensity like KG, intangibles of Tim Duncan, rebounding of Rodman.

[@JohnnyRodgers3]

I'd say athletically like giannis

[@jaybee5269]

Another superb post - thanks WCA! A lot is said about the teammates Russell had vs. Wilt's teammates. Ultimately, I think that how well a team plays together is much more important than the sum total of the players' talents. A great team is more than the sum of its parts. The Celtics stayed together for years and played together magnificently. They were a true team in a way no other NBA team has ever been. That's why they won so often, especially in crunch time. IMO, nobody has ever played basketball better than Bill Russell. Nor has anyone ever played better than Wilt, Oscar, Jerry, Larry, Michael, Kareem, Elgin, Magic, Mikan, or Lebron. And there are many others who played just as well but for shorter periods of time or within narrower physical limits. They were/are all masters of the game, excelling in many areas and capable of taking games over. To say one of them is better than the others is always going to be just a matter of opinion. My favorite is Wilt, but I can't honestly say he was the GOAT. He was one of the GOATS. By the way, I've been following the NBA since 1963, so I feel somewhat qualified to express my opinion about players. I don't think that anyone who didn't actually watch full games - and a lot of them - in earlier eras is qualified to evaluate the players of those eras. Players will always rate their contemporaries as the best of all time because they want to believe they played against the best of all time - that makes their accomplishments look better. It's hard to resist crowning someone as the greatest, but most of us don't do it with painters, musicians, scientists, writers, actors, generals, etc., etc. I don't think it works with athletes either - especially across eras.

[@dumisatonyjohnson8145]

Only person I rank ahead of Jordan in regards to the discussion of who’s the greatest player in NBA history They both impacted their teams on offense and defense 1) Bill Russell 1A) MJ

[@egoarmyic]

These blocks are insane. There are some shots where I go “Oh, that was a bad shot” then see Russell flying through the air and rewind to even see the block it was so fast and he looked so far away😂

[@Amick44]

And as has been noted, he often blocked em and kept the ball in bounds. Often a teammate would recover the ball. Wilt and Kareem were swatters. Usually blocking it out of bounds.

[@earldap3arl]

Although not as offensively skilled as Wilt or Kareem, Russell did possess such an athletic ability to where he used his quickness, vertical leap and timing to get high percentage shots. You'll never complain of Russell taking a bad shot, he was an inside hustle scorer, who can simply dunk on everyone.

[@bobbytrask7421]

This is the 1st clip of Russ that I have seen that really shows how diverse he truly was. As an individual talent he was incredible. However he was not quite in Wilt's league individually but as a team performer he was in a class all by himself & he has the rings to prove it! Thanks for the Upload W-C-A !

[@thunder8590]

I couldn't disagree more. He was more than Wilt's match He was better. He would do what it took to win titles. He sacrificed offense to do what was necessary and dominated the entire floor

[@ernesthader1109]

Therein lies the difference between wilt and bill. While wilt dominates individuals, bill dominates a team. Not only did bill outplay his man, he also defends their hoop against the driving guards and forwards.

[@sicnarf6971]

Tong Zou lol@you wilt was 90% the defensive player Bill was? Only a true geek could come up with a number like that

[@casualfandestroyer2503]

@Tong Zou Wilt averaged 18 PPG for his finals career (even tho he averaged atleast 20 PPG every regular season untill his last two seasons... with a 2-4 finals record two of those losses came from Knicks Willis reed outplaying wilt how can he be top 10 when he barley won 2 titles Russ lead 5 of the best defenses in nba history when Boston was last in defense before he got to Boston 11-0 in game 7s 18 PPG and 29 REB averages in those 10 games Russell won 5 mvps ( 3 straight ) and Celtics missed the playoffs for a couple years straight after Russ retired despite not losing anyone other Sam Jones and he was replaced by HOF jojo white Russell played with four members of the NBA's Top 50 at 50 (Havlicek, Cousy, Sharman, and Sam Jones); Wilt played with six members (Baylor, West, Greer, Cunningham, Arizin, and Thurmond). And Russell's teammates from 1957 to 1969 were selected to twenty-six All-Star games, while Wilt's teammates from 1960 to 1973 were selected to twenty-four. Let's never mention the supporting-cast card again with Russell and Chamberlain. Thank you. Wilt never was the leading scorer in the finals when he won In fact he was the 5th leading scorer in the 1967 finals 5th LEADING SCORER ON HIS OWN TEAM ALONE, wilts game was never that of a winner bill was the more clutch cerebral player 3 times in the finals he averaged 20+ PPG and another finals series he had 70%FG on near 20 PPG,

[@casualfandestroyer2503]

@Tong Zou Once again, keep in mind that the 1961/62 Warriors had the absolute worst defense in the league, and it was reflected in Russell's high fscoring. In the 1962 playoff series alone Bill Russell had games of 31, 31, and 29 pts in the series. Bill Russell never in his career averaged 19 ppg in a season, but he averaged over 20 ppg vs Wilt in both the 1960 and 1962 playoff series - in spite of the fact that Russell was trrrruya team-first player who usually did not need to score to dominate a game (à la Bird). In 9 playoff meetings against Russell, Wilt's ppg decreased from his regular season every time, while Russell's increased on multiple occasions.

[@adamgottlieb5818]

I've been waiting for a Bill Russell highlight reel like this. These are some awesome clips, highlighting all aspects of his game! Thank you for your work

[@LorolinAstori]

GOAT. It’s not even a point of discussion.

[@soundking4]

Agreed. Why? Let's see.....High School - 2 State Championships; College - 2 National Championships; NBA - 11 championships.

[@Nanjo21]

Without question the most misunderstood players by modern NBA fans, so many misconceptions about him and his era that is just crazy and sad. Some people actually think he played when there was not 24sec clock when Russell 1st year was 1956 and the 24sec clock was introduce in 1953 That bill only won because of his teammates and that wilt never had any help. there are multiple of his teammates(Kc.Jones, Tom Sanders and frank Ramsey) who made the HOF just for being part of the Celtics dynasty. they are the equivalent of Fisher, Fox and Horry making it to the HOF if Kobe and Shaq won like 10 rings. would you truly say omg the lakers were loaded with Stars! Wilt played with 3 HOF in the Warriors Paul Arizin , Tom Gola and Guy Rodgers(Who led the NBA in APG with and without Wilt) Wilt played with 3 HOF in Phily with Hal Greer(76ers All time leader in Pts), Chet Walker and Billy Cunningham. Also played with good players like Luke Jackson and Wally Jones who had better stats than KC Jones and Sanders so what if Wilt would have led them to more rings like Russell did, they probable be HOF too if you really think about it.ohh and Wilt also played in lakers with HOF jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich and not HOF happy Hairston who Avg 16.6P 11.6R 48%FG in that time. I mean sure Russell may have had a little more help but after what I said is that enough of a excuse for winning 2 rings compare to Russell's 11?? People also say that the fact that there were only 9 teams was an advantage and sure that helps but it also has stuff that made it difficult, like instead of facing players like wilt 2 or 4 times a year like todays players, Russell had to face Wilt like 8 times a season and 14 times a year including playoffs. For people who say the league was white, the league by 1965 had Russell, Wilt, Reed, Beaty, Bellamy, Thurmond, Ellis and Embry, those are 8 of the 9 teams had staring centers were black and some of them taller than Russell and Russell kept playing at the same level. I keep going on and on but I leave it at that lol in the end people need the give Russell respect and read more about his era.

[@porkfrog2785]

'only 9 teams' is a DETRIMENT, not a help...imagine a league from the 80's where you took the 9 best teams and you had to play them all the time...it would be a nightmare the 'only a few teams' argument is perhaps the worst sports argument of all-time. How hard is it to understand that a greater concentration of talent = tougher competition? No padding the stats and win column by playing weak sisters or expansion teams

[@vernpascal1531]

This was Russell's last year and he looked amazing. Could have been great for a few more years.

[@egoarmyic]

PorkFrog exactly. Imagine if every team was the warriors or rockets, and they all knew your weaknesses

[@OldSchool3pts]

Oh no please go on...I think this is like nails on a chalkboard to MJ and Lebron fans

[@unbiasvsbias3955]

@@porkfrog2785 IMO, it does help. Sure, you battle the best of the best for "many many games" when there's less teams involved. But it's the same vice versa, that also applies to the fact you'll play "many many games" against the worse of the worst every other night too. I'll use Wilt as a quick example: In his[Wilt's] 50-26 season (1961/62), Wilt's team had a solid 49-31 record, but 10 of those wins came against the absolute worst team in the league (18-62 Chicago Packers). Without his 10-0 record against the absolute worst team in the league, Wilt's team had a regular 39-31 record. If not for the benefit of playing the worst teams in the league many many times, Wilt's team's record would not have looked as well. Also have to factor in the ABA. So the NBA at that time didn't have *all* of the best of the best talent [edit]or the worse of the worst for that matter(I think that makes sense.... Lol).

[@yb3604]

the unquestionable goat i hope there will come a player that have studied all available tape of bill thank you for the upload

[@leoderosia9279]

He was great at making his sure his team got the ball after one of his many blocks....He is really tall with long arms in person, this video does not do him justice....was fast and could jump high too, Celtic fan.

[@BasketballHighway19]

And he led his team in scoring in the 66 finals. Legendary stuff

[@Amick44]

He is soooo right. He realized it was PEOPLE. He AND his teammates. Wilt, Jordan and many others didn't always get this. And they sorta did after some time. Bill always knew. As did Bill Walton, who probably comes closest to Russell in overall mentality and spirit regarding the game. At least at their position.

[@danielclark1247]

Was there ever another center in NBA history that ripped down rebounds and then proceeded to lead the fastbreak himself, besides Russell?

[@xbefri23]

Daniel Clark Wilt Chamberlain.

[@danielclark1247]

xbefri23 In the NBA, not high school and college. Chamberlain didn't do that in the pros, Russell did at all levels

[@casualfandestroyer2503]

@@xbefri23 🤡

[@xbefri23]

4:09 Nice skyhook.

[@DrJohnnyJ]

1:00 comes across the key to block a 10 foot hook that is about 12 feet up.

[@wintagerondo3712]

Thank you for posting this

[@pointlessnesses]

Anybody see the triangle actions that the warriors still run today. That was cool

[@dominiclacoote2855]

6'10 defensive genius

[@casualfandestroyer2503]

Goat tier for sure

[@condog209]

Best thing to do with a time machine would be go back in time, and film games from the 50's and 60's so we can some of basketball's best

[@bobcongdon3701]

2 ncaa championships 12 nba championships ( he played 13 years) 1 nba championship as the coach Simply the Greatest!

[@Amick44]

2 chips as coach.

[@oldschoolruler]

2 HS championships 2 NCAA championships 1 Olympic Gold Medal 11 NBA titles (played in finals 12of13 years) Last two as player/head coach Total of 16 championships, only Kareem is close with 12.

[@mja91352]

Outstanding video. I never understand why there is any discussion about who is the GOAT of the NBA. That case was decided decades ago.

[@happyfreeliferc]

Soon after this game Bill became the Coach AND PLAYER for two years after Red retired.He Won both years.

[@realested]

Thank you 4 the video Great

[@marceldwayne8491]

well what in amazing video you did wilt chamberlain archive. This just tells the difference between Wilt and Russell. On your other video of wilt chamberlain intimadation and blocks video. I had comment to see if you could do a Bill russell video and Artis Gilmore. You certainly did in outstanding job on the Bill Russell video, but you should also do a Artis Gilmore one. He was special in some way. Thanks !

[@iceman4408]

Russell was 10-0 in game sevens.

[@MajorSrb95]

@Tong Zou He did in 1969 vs Lakers

[@sambeezy007]

4:27 this dude was doing the sky hook before Kareem

[@kincamell]

Stellar. Ps Peace to Bill and his brother Charlie.

[@kincamell2]

Much Gratitude

[@bobdavis3357]

Bill Russell was the founder and chairman of the original SWAT team.

[@christopherpezzano2561]

Imagine if they counted Bill Russell’s blocks as ah stat & the NBA certified it into the history books!!!

[@ailurophile17]

I'm a history professor and I've been telling my students for a quarter century now that Bill Russell was the greatest basketball player of all time. They're all skeptical because they never saw him play and somehow think that the NBA prior to 1980 was nothing but white guys shooting set shots. Showing them videos such as this only confirms the truth of #6's greatness. Thanks for posting this, although the "wilt chamberlain archive" thing is a bit disconcerting.

[@BD-uw1kq]

Greatest winner in pro sports history. Greatest defensive player ever and easily the greatest leader in team sports history. No equal in basketball awareness until Bird showed up. He won rings while playing and coaching at the same time. Possibly the 2nd greatest athlete to ever play in the NBA behind only Wilt.

[@goodman5836]

First..and this is gold! Great find

[@OldSchool3pts]

Championships and Stats aside his ability to be a coach on the floor separates him from the rest of the "GOATS" in my opinion, his IQ coupled with his ability in his prime I believe he could guard any position effectively in any era

[@SFerg23_]

RIP the legend

[@Nanjo21]

great Vid!

[@timhoward5]

*Wow, right in a channel named after Wilt Chamberlain.*

[@cesarquint256]

i mean are u not amazed by his speed also? he is dribbling hard and fast pushing the pace after grabing a rebound, thats a no no in "rules of a pivot since the begining of time" ... what im saying is, he drible better than javale, dwight etc, in a time where palm was not allowed, pure fucking talent here dudes, Mr Russell was a athletic freak and also an iq off the charts, the people who hate on bill are the same that thinks rodman is the greatest defender ever (he is on of them ) but he is shorter than bill and u are telling me he couldnt play today? draymond is one of the best interior defense today and honestly he is not faster not taller than bill

[@choward5430]

People say Russell was overrated. Unbelievable! Bill Russell was Dennis Rodman but better. Rodman lead the NBA in rebounding 7 consecutive seasons at 6'6" 210 lbs. And had he started in his early years at Detroit, he would have a few more league leading rebounding stats. Even still, Rodman was not a better rebounder, shot blocker, defender or scorer than Russell.

[@dennisgunter3985]

Wilt led the league in rebounding and was a superior passer

[@choward5430]

Dennis Gunter Yes he was. He was a better rebounder than Russell and lead the league in assists from the center position. Wilt also amassed 78 triple doubles which did not include games in which he blocked 10 or more shots.

[@DrJohnnyJ]

Sorry, I bet you never saw them play in the days when Wilt amassed those stats. It was pathetic. Wilt made his teammates run around in circles until he could get credit for an assist. Russel got his assists in the natural flow of the game. Watch the last Laker - Celtic series if you can. Russell had arthritis and could hardly hold the ball yet the Celtic offense ran beautifully. With Wilt, the Lakers couldn't score.wilt played with four hall of famers when he came into the league and still couldn't win. The year he scored 50, Bill Russell was chosen MVP by the players.

[@choward5430]

Johnny J Sir not only did I see both men play, I've stood next to both men! It is clear to me that Russell's teams were better. There were teams that challenged Boston but they simply weren't quite good enough. One exception being Wilt's '67 76er team. The 1969 Laker team should have beat Boston. I still struggle with that loss to this day sometimes. But if you look closer at the Lakers, they had poor chemistry. Elgin Baylor was struggling to retain his game. But he was basically done. Wilt had relegated himself to defense and rebounding. So Jerry West was the only player they could count on to score everyday! In game 7, with West leading an amazing comeback, Wilt was injured. When he asked to return to the game, the coach refused! He wanted to win without Wilt! That tells you right there the foul chemistry of this that team. As for MVP's, Wilt got cheated on 2 or 3 more trophies. All people who follow the NBA know this. It still happens occasionally i.e. Steve Nash's back to back MVP's over the likes of Kobe, Shaq and D Wade all because Phoenix had better teams. Nash could not rebound or defend. And those two traits should void anyone from being most valuable.

[@weiqi8956]

When Bill Sharman became the coach of the Lakers and an over the hill Elgin retired and was replaced by Jim McMillan, the Lakers had a great season, the best any team had ever had. They won 69 games and 33 in a row with Wilt dominating the paint on defense. Jerry West led the NBA in assists and still scored 26 a game. So team chemistry, strategy, and a shifting of players roles made all the difference.

[@DexterHaven]

Bill threw up before a game. The opposing coach threw up after the game.

[@larrydalobster3548]

Russell would prevent his opponent from getting the ball and would say "well why didn't you pass it" He's such an Evil defensive mastermind and I love the way he blocks shots

[@GoldVibranium]

1:50 From a 10x NBA Champion

[@kincamell2]

Heavy Gratitude Ps Peace to Elgin Baylor (best player to not win a ring) and Bill Russell (greatest champion, ever). Pps Peace to Bill's older brother Charlie Russell (amazing writer) Ppps Peace to Connie Hawkins.

[@artistseye1]

Imagine someone trying to posterize Russ?

[@derekanderson2003]

wilt chamberlain is the best and most dominant player to ever play basketballand best center

[@Amick44]

You wanna win, take Bill.

[@kingofnewyork7765]

🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@danielvargas4207]

were did the time go in the 50s 60s 70s the center was the most important position no small ball is the key to success

[@cudackedees3327]

daniel trump Boston play small ball they just also happen to have the best big man.

[@Amick44]

@@cudackedees3327 great point. K.C Jones penetration, Sam Jones and Havlicek's scoring, the best well run break in the league. Yes, small ball with Russell fueling the attack on both ends.

[@jerrywang4892]

Will U do a 67 season highlights for Wilt？

[@FoodForThought356]

Is there any guesstimate on how many shots Russell blocked on average per game in his prime?

[@daewoo4175]

Joe Moloney 4+ is the estimate, though with the goaltending rule not in existence it would be 7+ the right number.

[@OldSchool3pts]

Good question, I'd ask the same about his steals as well

[@73Trident]

@@daewoo4175 Goaltending was in existence before Russell joined the NBA. Do some research before you pop off.

[@JackFlaps]

as many as needed

[@15h73]

Who is your best top 5 centers of all time

[@midas2252]

wilt, Kareem, Moses, Hakeem, & shaq (no order)

[@15h73]

iMitis mines is wilt Russell Kareem Hakeem and shaq

[@stefannessler]

No Order: Bill Wilt Kareem Moses Hakeem

[@Amick44]

@@stefannessler i agree 100%.

[@realested]

Damn thats defense.

[@qwikscopez6619]

Why I think that at the very least Bill and Wilt were equals as sure wilt got his 50 pts but he never learned that that was not winning basketball Bill could have averaged 30 points (not as much as wilt) but he did every thing a team needed to win and that's why he is possibly the best player to build a team around

[@choward5430]

Not sure I follow your line of reasoning. Wilt could score. He did. Wilt could rebound. He did. Wilt played defense and blocked shots. Wilt played every second of every game when he averaged 50.4 and 25.7 rebounds. Bill Russell had two things Wilt did not have: 1. Stability and coaching 2. Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, Tommy Heinshon, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Don Nelson, John Havlicek, Larry Siegfried, Jim Loscutoff, Satch Sanders, Emmit Bryant, Ed Macauley, Bailey Howell Clyde Lovellette and Frank Ramsey.

[@kelime]

C Howard One reason for Russell's advantage in stability and coaching was because he was much more of a team player and was very coachable. Wilt's individualism could freeze out his teammates and put him at loggerheads with his coaches. Hannum and Sharman were able to get Wilt to change his approach. As far as the argument that Wilt's teammates weren't comparable to Russell's, let's look at some of the Dipper's mates: Paul Arizin, Tom Gola, Guy Rodgers, Nate Thurmond, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham, Luke Jackson, Tom Meschery, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich

[@aChristian4RonPaul]

@@choward5430 Wilt had a hall of fame coach for years. He played with how many of the top 50 players of all time (at the 50 year anniversary of the NBA). 6? Not just hall of famers, but considered some of the greatest to ever play the game. Russell only had 4. Over their careers, Russell's teammates made it 26 times as all-stars. Wilt's 24 times. Wilt didn't show up to practices, angered his teammates, got his coaches fired, etc. If you want to look at why he had instability, look at him. Three of the years Russell didn't even have a head coach. He was a player and the head coach. In those three years, he won as many championships as Wilt did his entire career (2).

[@jacklane7489]

@@aChristian4RonPaul that was the death nail right there

[@letitflock1397]

💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯

[@mikorara]

Looks like a lot of his blocks were goaltending. Great player though, hats off..

[@kingofnewyork7765]

Mikorara only the one at 1:00 dummy

[@watchalotadunks]

1:38

[@radar0412]

I love Bill Russell. But that right handed hook shot? I've seen better form on a guy in a swarm of Bees.

[@TrevLaw16]

Yeah but hes a lefty

[@radar0412]

@@TrevLaw16 Yeah I know he's lefty..Still ugly. LOL! Russ is on my Mount Rushmore.

[@73Trident]

Did it go in? Yes still two points. Which scores more a dunk or a layup? Answer-same.

[@ezequielhernandez7019]

Great defender. Yet Wilt owned him

[@15h73]

Ezequiel Hernandez not really bill Russell won most of his game against wilt but at the same time wilt scored 30 and got 25 rebounds

[@jamesedwards1284]

J25 russel had waaaaaay better teammates

[@15h73]

That one guy true but when wilt went to the lakers he lost

[@jamesedwards1284]

J25 yh at the end of his career

[@15h73]

That one guy bill Russell was at his Last season

[@santinoanthonyz]

In terms of a player he wasn't that good. It's like saying tony Allen is one of the best players in the league.

[@JoshGeoGoose]

Lol not even close. Look at his rebounding numbers. He also still scored a solid amount. plus 11 rings

[@WiltChamberlainArchive]

In terms of basketball fans you're not very bright.

[@JoshGeoGoose]

You have to wonder how many blocks he would average. Some people said near 10. He was a ridiculously good positional defender and that's evident by the tape and first hand experiences shared by other players. People always use the excuse that "oh he played in the 60s where there was less talent". Sure that may be true but that doesn't excuse the fact that he was the best defender of his entire generation while still bringing close to 20 ppg. You can't compare to that.

[@BasketballJones48021]

Tony Allen?! Stop spilling out nonsense. First of all, Bill Russell was a center, while players at that position got the "opportunity" to have the best impact on the defensive end, and that's just what Bill was, the most impactful defensive player ever... The man was ridiculous at blocking shots (and it's crazy how he made sure he kept the ball alive for his team), he had unreal defensive awareness, he covered lots of ground (look at him going to the perimeter, defending wings, stealing the ball, even blocking shots there), he was just a tremendous defensive anchor in every way... No wonder that the Celtics jumped from 6th best defense to 1st right when he got there, and they were pretty much always the #1 defense while Bill was there except for one season when they had the 2nd best. Then, when Bill left they fell from the #1 defense to #8. And throughout all of those years, their offense was never one of the very best, in fact plenty of times they were one of the worst or just the worst... They won those 11 rings mostly due to their defense, and guess who was the man in charge of that, the main responsible? Either way, Bill was still a pretty good offensive player... He's one of the GOAT passing bigmen; Tony Allen - who you ignorantly brought up - is a guard and still, he's not even remotely close to Bill as far as passing/playmaking. Russell could score in the high-teens and that was more than good enough, not to mention that he stepped up his scoring plenty of times when they really needed it (especially in very important situations/games). He was also a terrific athlete, and knew how to make use of that to enhance his game. And Bill is a top5 all-time rebounder. Furthermore, he brought along crazy intangibles; he's one of the very best leaders in league history (on and off the court), he was very clutch, he had a great basketball IQ, he was very tough and focused on the court, he hustled all out for the win, he just knew what to do to get that W... Shame to see people still underrating Bill Russell like that... Off of sheer hate or plain ignorance. Along with everything I've just mentioned, Russell is a 5x MVP, in a league with Wilt, Oscar, West, Baylor and Pettit; he's a 11x NBA champion (that's insane no matter how you look at it), and that's mostly as the team's best/most impactful player, even as a player-coach; and he would've had the most FMVP's and DPOY's in NBA history if those awards were given out back then.

[@santinoanthonyz]

Today Bill would be a better Bismack biyombo with a playmaking ability