Bill Russell Biography

Regarded as one of the best ever players in the history of National Basketball Association (NBA), William Felton “Bill” Russell is a retired professional basketball player who was the centerpiece of the Boston’s Celtics dynasty for a period of 13 years. He was very famous for his shot-blocking and man-to-man defense which led his team to many victories in major tournaments. The talented player had grown up in a neighbourhood notorious for its rampant racism. Basketball provided him a means of rising above this issue and he got the chance as a professional player to prove his mettle. He was also much respected for his ability to inspire and motivate his team members to improve their playing techniques and give their best performances. Equally skilled at grabbing rebounds, he is just one of the only two players to have made more than 50 rebounds in a single game and has had a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. Russell’s superstardom is special not just because of his amazing performances, what makes his success even more special is the fact that he was the first African American player in NBA history to achieve such glory, and he was also the first African American to become an NBA coach.