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It was a tough day yesterday mid-afternoon at our very successful Shemon and Sheppard Top Golf tournament..Word came out that the legendary Boston Celtic Bill Russell had passed away peacefully surrounded by family at the age of 88 and then last night I learned that another legend in her own right, Nichelle Nichols had passed as well..I will speak about here later in another piece..First, Bill Russell was the cornerstone of a Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in a 13-year span, including 8 in a row from 1959-66 which is the most consecutive titles in NBA history..In addition to his 11 NBA titles, Bill Russell also won 2 national championships at the University of San Francisco (1955 & 1956) and a Gold Medal for the USA at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. He is 1 of only 8 players to win an NBA title, NCAA title and Olympic Gold medal...
Russell was also part of the first all black starting five and the first ever African-American head coach in the NBA...Russell also has the most rebounds and minutes played in NBA Finals history. In 2009, the NBA Finals MVP
award was named after Russell....I will share just one other story with you..
The Day I Met Bill Russell
Bill Russell spent an hour with us on WEEI many years ago in a show in Boston that I was a part of...It was absolutely one of the most incredible experiences of my 35+ broadcast career..His infectious laugh was even more genuine in person than it was on TV..He shared many stories about his basketball career as well as the trial and tribulations he went through when he first came to the Celtics as well as him being a civil rights activist during very difficult time..It was a legendary hour of radio that I will never forget..One other interesting thing about Bill was that he would not sign autographs but instead would always say.."But I will always shake your hand.."..Bill Russell was an absolute gentleman on and off the court..He always handled himself with class and dignity and defines "Celtics Pride" like no other..Rest In Peace Bill Russell..You are a true legend.
