How Good Was Bill Russell Actually?
Vložit
- čas přidán 9. 06. 2024
- We take a look at the incredible career of the greatest champion in NBA history, Bill Russell.
Follow us on Instagram: / nonstop
Follow us on Twitter: / nonstop
When people talk about the greatest basketball players of all time, the usual suspects are Jordan and Lebron, followed by Kareem, Wilt, Kobe, and others. With 11 NBA championships in 13 years, Bill Russell is widely recognized as the greatest winner in all professional sports, but why is he then so rarely mentioned in the GOAT conversation? In this video, we'll try to answer the question of how good Bill Russell was actually, did he really play against poor competition, and how would he fare in today's game?
How Good Was Bill Russell Actually? - Sport
RIP to the greatest winner in SPORTS history. 🙏
Rip the to the man with 11 rings
Amen to that
Truly the greatest winner there was. A man we all aspire to be like.
Rip to a basketball legend
Rip legend
He thrived in a game and society that didnt even accept him at the time. Credit where it's due the man is a legend🙏🏻
Edit: Felt like I really had to come back to this comment today, Rip mr Russell, you made the nba what it is today and your legacy and resilience will not be forgotten.
During that time there were only 10 teams tho, and on the Celtics there were 8 HOF during that time
Take bill Russell off the team and alot of those guys wouldnt be in the hall of fame let's not front
@@theupdawg3533 with less teams that also meant only the best players get to the league.
The Up Dawg less teams=more quality teams
@@Noahhhhhhhh Basketball recruitment and scouting are not exactly at its finest during the 60's. College players are treated like trash and a lot pro players that time have day jobs. You're badly wrong if you think for one second that every single player in those few teams in that era are the best of the best.
Was an incredible man and incredible player. Rest In Peace, to a legend.
Bill Russell's story NEEDS to be a movie
I was just thinking the other day about a bill-wilt motion pic about they're rivalry/friendship but must definitely do justice to both as individuals
Fr though
Seriously. I'd pay to see it in theaters. What am amazing man.
I think you right, its about damn time especially while his still here
Like they would tell the truth🙄
Just another feel good movie,
about how whites🇺🇸
Aren’t really that bad...
All Bill Russell did was win. I believe that is the object of the game. He fulfilled it no matter what level he was at.
Hes the real goat nobody wants to admit it considering he did it with the celtics
@@deadpool1966 He won a bunch of championships with like 8 hall of fame teammates in a league with about 4 teams of drugged out goofs. Did you ever watch highlights from this era? We could probably play at that time in the NBA. It stinks
@@ShawnValentino Bill Russell won 2 National Championships in college. He didn't play for Kansas or Kentucky or UCLA. He led the University of San Francisco to 2 national championships!! In those days you couldn't play as a freshman so 2 chips in 3 years at a mid major. He also won an olympic gold medal and a state championship in high school. The man is the best winner ever
@@mongoslade277 At that time nobody cared about playing basketball. Watch one of those games from back then. We are probably better athletes than those goofs playing then. And the NBA had about 4 teams in the league and he was surrounded by 5 Hall of Famers in a league with no competition. Imagine Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas winning one playoff series and going to the finals 10 times against a bunch of dweebs. Basketball pre 1970 was a joke.
@@ShawnValentino You make some good points. The game was played differently back then. It's way more athletic today but Elgin Baylor. Wilt. Jerry West. Oscar Robinson. Sam Jones. John Havlicek would have that athleticism today. Their games would carryover to today's game. Bill Russell in the 90's would have a problem playing center. He would've probably been a small forward. In today's game with the small ball he could play center. He could play pick and roll defense and defend the 3
Russel vs Wilt was the game we looked for, on Sunday afternoon, NBA Game of the Week. Showing my age, but that's okay.
yesssir old head im fuccing wit it
Yeah, may you tell me about wilt, please? I want to know how did he prepare for games what was his workout routine?
wmden 1 THOSE WERE great games back in the 1960s....it was nothing unusual to see 8 to 9 hall of famers on the court at the same time.....we know when these young folks take pot shots at guys like wilt and bill they have no clue..they were not born..i have asked who is willie mays..sandy koufax....etc..no response..no idea...smile...wmden 1
There is no hand checking????say what????..peace..they just don't know...
RIP wmden1
@@that_dude_tk7327 I have no idea about all of that. They didn't do much up close and personal broadcasting stuff back then. I do know that Wilt could be double teamed and break grips on his shoulder, or take a 200 pounder up with him, on a dunk, and grin about it, among other things.
GOAT. He had great teammates because he MADE them great. Had great teams because he MADE them great. Dominated the most imposing athlete ever (Wilt). Was 27-0 in championship / series final / do-or-die games...
Cousy, Havlicek, Sam Jones were all great regardless. Sharman probably, too. But many of the others he enhanced their value tremendously.
No doubt sir. Mr Russel was the male alpha lion of all-time.
Wilt averaged 28 and 28 against Bill in all their head-to-head meetings, and lost by a grand total of 9 points combined in all their postseason meetings either in elimination or 7-and-decided games. So, I wouldn't say "Dominated" by any means.
@@tylerhingleton8493 Exactly u give Wilt that Celtics team and Russell would get swept
You hit the right nail on the head so hard, you left a hole big enough to drive a truck through. Russell measured his play by whether it made his whole team do better. Consequently, he won 11 titles and played a big role in lifting 8 other teammates to the Hall of Fame.
Bill Russell will never not be missed. Such a humble person and an amazing player. Rest in peace.
What a pity that young people and players do not realize just what we owe to Bill Russell. What we take for granted, he had to fight for. He helped pave a very rocky road that makes our journey much easier. I'm not talking Bball, I'm talking civil rights. He was very big (no pun intended) and instrumental is changing America. As far as I am concerned, his basketball achievements are secondary to what he did for civil rights and the lives of everyone that has and will benefit from his courage.
Today Russell would be listed at 6'11" because after '73 all players were measured in shoes and in Russell's era, barefoot.. Russell was 6'9 and 3/4" barefoot which would put him at 6'11" today when measured in basketball shoes. So imagine a world class athlete (Russell was the 7th ranked high jumper in the world) at 6'11" who could guard out to the free throw lane, had sprinter speed, was an excellent passer, and could rebound and block shots with great timing and quickness. Now you can begin to see how great Russell would be in any era.
Amen
sooo kevin durant. Ok
@@minarik01 BR was a defensive phenom durant is all offense
Couldn’t shoot for shit
Yeah and playing against plumbers and carpenters💀
I was fortunate to see Bill Russell play. One thing people don't realize about him was just how great he was at blocking shots. Since his time, you see players blocking shots, but the ball usually ends up out of bounds. Russell was so good at it he would block it to himself or another Celtic. In one interview he said anybody can swat the ball out of bounds but then that team gets the ball right back. And this, among other things, is why I think he is the greatest of all time. Contrary to common belief I also think he would have found his place among the greats in today's game. One of the other complaints is there were only 8 teams but with just 8 there was a better concentration of quality players on each team, so he dealt with the best more often. There are teams today that just don't have what it takes because there are only so many genuinely great players. You don't win 11 championships by being anything but great. His last year they one the championship proves it. It was by far the weakest team he played on, but they still won it all...because of him.
1 year later… do you still feel this way? Or has anything changed (genuinely curious)
@@wanz3611dog if he watches bill russel play dude might be dead already 💀
Look Jordan fanes Big Bill is the goat know dolt about it.Point blank!😅😊🎉
Great and underrated comment! People often miss this.
And Wilt changed the way woman looked at him.
20,000 women specially blonde women
Wilt walked so Kuzma could run
Lmao
@@MeOwClan1337 lol facts tho
And yet his ass didn’t have any children to take his place smh
Hard to argue against his success. The most successful player ever.
1:57
The Hawks won that series at least in part because Bill missed 2 and a fraction games due to a sprained ankle.
The general consensus is that had Bill NOT been hurt, the Celtics would almost definitely have won that one.
Who do you want to see us make a video on next?
Dennis Rodman if u haven't already
Dell curry?
Make a video on jerry west
Do how good was Michael Jordan actually
Make a Jerry Krause video
Bill’s 11 rings speaks for itself. Rest In Peace Bill Russell #6 🕊
No it does not. The NBA had like 9 teams at the time, the competition was weak, and Bill's stats were not really impressive tbh. Not trying to say he was a horrible player, but he was def overrated as one of the top 10 NBA players of all time.
@@bobbymira8234 you wouldn’t won 1 ring stfu
@@bobbymira8234 11 rings, 5mvps with dpoy's and finals mvp's werent give during his era
@@bobbymira8234 I hope you do something significant for this time period, and 50 years from now, I hope people severely downplay your accomplishments due to you being born earlier than them. I hope they say, Bobby wasn't shit, look at the era he lived in. They had smartphones back then. Their cars were gas powered, look how their electricity was generated, etc, etc.. those people lived in an era where it doesn't really count.. I don't know if you're an idiot in every aspect of life, but you're certainly one when it comes to this subject
@@bobbymira8234 all you dumbasses bark out is excuses
Imagine Bill Russel and Wilt Chamberlain in the same team 👁👄👁
That would be OP af
When Wilt played for Philly they were on the same team for the All Star game
imagine them with SHAQ
@@ppface7221 op
On Celtics they’d have 15+ rings
True legend on and off the court. Tons of respect for him
This video really raised my respect for older players. Even though the nba is more skilled today some of these players changed the game's foundation to what's seen as normal today. The players today just built off of it and perfected it. These guys definitely deserve their respect
Your high, more skilled nah you mean more lazy, dribbled at the 3 line an shoot
@@deadpool1966 with no under the basket many times its insane
@@deadpool1966 old head
Don’t forget Kareem joined Bill Russell and Muhammad Ali in the Civil Rights movement
Funny how you guys always claim Russell couldn't guard Shaq yet Rodman did... effectively. And Russell was a lot better than Rodman.
facts
Well said
I mean Rodman was 2 time dpoy winner. Don’t sleep on the worm
@@bobbysbluebooster and Russell is considered the greatest defensive player of all time. Rodman's achievements pale in comparison.
@@bobbysbluebooster Dennis Rodman is one of the all time great defensive players..he always took the toughest assignment and did it well.....what does not get mentioned was his team play...forget the antics the man understood the game..peace..wear your mask...get vaccinated when your time comes....
The title should be how "GREAT" was Bill Russell actually
Overrated. winning in an 8-10 team league. At that time there were other leagues like the ABA that hadnt yet merged with it. Its why no one takes the football titles in 1920s as seriously as those of Superbowl era.
@@vulcanraven9701 NOT a watered down league, like today.
@@vulcanraven9701 Think about it: Since there were only 8-10 teams in his era, wouldn’t that mean that the best of the best would be in the league?
@@thebigchap101 Problem is, that was pre-merger. You had different players in say the ABL or whateevr other programs out there. Basketball was decentralized and some players who were good in college or other leagues hadn't seen the sport as a legit career.
Its like when any other league started out: many lacrosse players in college who had pro potential didnt turn it, decentralized sports dilute talent. Its why no one takes "AFL titles" seriously. The modern era began with the creation of Superbowl.
@ New profile Aba wasn’t even formed till after Russel retired
I know very little about basketball positions and intricacies, but such videos add charm and value through their simple and straightforward narration, without much hyperbole and interruptions. Thanks much (from India).
He is the real G.O.A.T. That is how good he was.
Not greater than Wilt no way.If Wilt had been on The Celtics team. They would never have lost. I'm not disrespecting Russell, but C'Mon Wilt was more than twice the offensive player as Russel,l and as Great a rebounder and shot blocker. Even a better passer late in his career.
@@vernpascal1531 No doubt. The reason Russell is the G.O.A.T is because he kept Chamberlain from being the GOAT. They played in their prime at the same time. MJ and LeBron are only in the discussion because they recent. Russell has the most championships and Chamberlain is most dominant player in history. End of story.
@@roww10 Big deal about those 11 rings. They played in an era where there was like 8 teams going up against non-basketball players.
Bill Russell had to go against wilt and could hold him so how could he not hold Shaq he was also a world class athlete
YEP, just like Ben Wallace did!
Bill never locked down Wilt. Ben never locked down Shaq. Their numbers were slightly worse. They just lost.
S0 Friday isn’t making the other team lose the point of the game?
@@joeyjerome2487 Exactly! People think the sport is boxing or Tennis, you do what it takes for your team to get the "W" that's all that matters...
Bill said it the best, "I cannot stop Wilt but I could slow him down".
wow!! 11 rings he is the g.o.a.t of winners
Wonderful video. Thank you :) So many great points made about Bill Russell and why he deserves recognition. 11 championships in 13 years....with one as a player/coach! Insane. The way he stood up for civil rights too, absolute legend. If anyone has a GOAT conversation, ever, you can't overlook Bill.
May this legend rest in peace. He'll never be forgotten.
Teams are more equally matched with talent now days and it's harder to have winning streaks like Boston had in Russell's day. He gave Chamberland the credit of being a better player, which says alot for his character. But as others have said, no one will ever match his winning record or outclass his achievements. What an outstanding athlete and a great man!
I believe that Mr Russell needs more recognition and admiration for his work in civil rights that he did. He was a very important figure in getting changes made in America. It was not right for people to pay to watch him play, to cheer him on, to praise his talent but then would not eat a meal with him. He made a firm stand and was instrumental in getting changes made. This was actually his greatest achievement.
He was the most versatile player as a defensive force and a rebounder. He wasn’t much of a scorer but he was a shot-blocker. He won 11 NBA championship titles with the Boston Celtics.
Russell has the 3rd highest assist average of any center ever.
@@PoliticusRex632how many triple doubles does he have in his career
Wow! I knew Bill Russell was great but I never realized how great he actually was and still is. I know he was great mentor for the 2008 Celtics championship team which included Paul Pierce, KG, Ray Allen, Rondo etc.. The man is a true legend.
Comparing players from different eras is pointless for many reasons. You can only compare size, athletic abilities, determination/will/drive, playing w/ injuries/pain and fundamentals. Russell was a track & field star with crazy hops, speed and endurance, & was the same height as Hakeem with an absurd wingspan. He understood the game like no other player and was fundamentally sound. He's an 'any era' player
Good enough to have eleven rings
And 2 ncaa titles and an olympic gold medal
Bill is a legend but he is nowhere near the top 10 of all time. He was terrible on offense and had 4-5 HOFers in a weaker era with less teams.
@@Synsity less teams = high caliber players than today
@@josep4259 lol that’s based off skepticism and assumption not stats and facts think of all the “high caliber” players today and put them onto ten teams your trying to tell me the average player here who’s doing this part time apparently has more high caliber players than today sense that logic goes both ways sorry but I don’t believe it
And 8 in a row!
Rest in Paradise, Bill Russell 🙏☘️
R.I.P King 🕊🙏
6:18 - Well, to be fair, he faced off against Chamberlain, who was reportedly stronger than O'Neil. But Russell was a smart player, he would have found a way to win against any competitor. His teams would always outperform the opponent. Russell says he would run fast breaks against O'Neil.
Your are a wise man
Yup. Russell retired not because of his body. He retired because he realized that his smarts declined
@@ciaojay7025 Smarts declined? Come on, players can wear out physically, but their smarts don't decline unless they get dementia or have a stroke. Russell retired because he was done playing in racist Boston - and already won his 11th and most impressive championship.
@@broadstreet21 shaq was 320 maybe even more than that when he played with the lakers, i dont see wilt breaking backboards, shaq forced the nba to make the backboards stronger. Also bill is pretty trash and so is wilt.
@@WhoAreYou905 Bigger does not always mean stronger. Wilt didn't break backboards, nor did he need to. He was just pure physical power and talent that nobody could match up against.
" THE WAY I PLAY MY TEAM WINS "
End of conversations.
R.I.P. Legend
The 11 ring man will never be forgotten!
He is a living legend
Hi love ur work, keep up the great work.
Mr. Russell will always be my GOAT. Rest in Power, Sir.
The thing about Bill Russel is that he shaped the game on how it’s played. It’s like the building blocks of the game of basketball where it started of with the Fastbreaks, passes, blocks, rebounds, etc... and as time goes by people just improvised and added to make it better but basketball would never evolve without the fundamentals which came from the people in his era.
We find out another legend has passed on a Sunday afternoon. May God bless his soul
What a great person,a great player. No one in the nba will come close to him. He was played the game the way it should be played.
Rest In Peace Mr. Celtic. He is one of many great Celtic players who stayed with the same team throughout his career
He is not just my greatest sports hero - he is my greatest hero.
He’s dead
@@EIite. happens to all of us
The NBA should figure out how many blocks he had.
The don't have footage from most games
Probably a lot considering he played against plumbers as good as today's middle school or high school athletes
@@MrE_ didn't know Wilt was a plumber
Mr.E yea bro. People like wilt, bob petit, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson. Jerry west. Nate Thurmond. All those hall of famers. They plumbers.
@Sipseyhiker ok now that's just a dumb statement. You do realize that humans evolve overtime? Every physical ability record (speed, strength, endurance,etc) has been beaten by modern athletes. To deny that is to deny science and basic knowledge. The truth is, those hall of famers were great for their time. But just because you make the hall of fame, doesn't mean you are automatically the best that an athlete can be.
love your videos keep up the good work
love the work keep up the great work
Bill Russell was an NBA PILLAR !
11 Rings in 13 Years
2 NCAAs and Olympic Gold
RIP to the Greatest Winner in team sports 🕊️
Love your vids
Outstanding stuff, thanks for posting
Rip to Bill he had such a successful career and post career and left it all out there. Legend!
@Reid Little that is what I said: Rip (rest in peace)
who’s here after he passed 😢
Great content.
RIP - The Legend
This gentleman is a titan of the game, the real goat. When people compare him with players of later eras, they just don't take into account that Russell was an amazing player in spite of the poor conditions he had to face whether racism or bad salaries. Now imagine how good he would've been with all the advantages of today's basketball.
The most respected player ever and he said the way I played my team wins....
RIP, Legend #6 🤍💚
Never was a Russell/Celtics fan, but aside from the most championships by far, he won 5 MVPs. One could say that he was the greatest team player ever and should be on everyone’s top 10 of all time.
R.I.P to the legend 🙏🕊🏀
The stats don't show how great Bill was. The league didn't keep stats on block shots, otherwise Russell would be the all-time leader I'm pretty sure. He is the one and only guy I would say was a more blood-thirsty competitor than even Jordan was.
True.
Wilt would be ahead but Russell would be 2nd
@@joestuehmer7967 how is wilt ahead with 2 rings wilt was the best at scoring individual as stats as a single player scoring player he didn't care for winning all he cared was for himself and his stats wilt is overrated lol 2 rings Compared to 11
R.I.P legend you'll be missed
R.I.P to the greatest winner ever
Absolutely Feckin Awesome thanks Bill and Wilt. Great memories!
A reporter asked Russell after Jordan got his 6th ring what he thought of this. He answer: 'Not much.'
Is there proof of this? Doesn't sound like Bill
He said...and he meant it for 2 reasons
@@Ac0ustics0ul He said it. With 8 championships in a row no one will ever tough him.
@@senseichess8688 Indeed! Just for my information, what are the reasons you refer to?
@@pmcclaren1 one reason is that bill knew 6 rings is a very long way from 11
You had to see him perform season after season against the top centers of his era to appreciate how important he was to the Celtics dynasty.
This was helpful Jackson
Lord of the Rings 🙏🙇🏻♂️
Like many others,if I were given the chance to create an NBA team my first pick would be Bill Russell. But how about second pick ? Larry Bird.Both players winners with multiple skills who inspired their teammates to play their best game and create a great team.
Actually, Red changed that answer to Bird in the early 90's!
Well said
hakeem>russell
@@kingt2olase94 frankly no
@MVP Kunai i need someone who can do it all
if i had a team i would pick hakeem as my first choice
Rest In Peace to Bill Russell. Helped Pave the way for every single black superstar to exist after him 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Long live the King, Gone but never forgotten His accomplishments on and off the court will be remembered for years to come
Bill Russell was a true champion. RIP Bill Russell 🏆☘️🤲
One thing I always try to tell people is Bill could run a fast break as a center. Wilt couldn't do that.
Wilt used to run track what are u talking about
@@felixheredia62 Yeah I meant run a fast break meaning dribbling and pushing the ball.
Wilt in his younger days ran the floor like a deer.
@@Mark-sj3xb yeah what I mean by “run a fast break” means that he could lead it by dribbling the ball up the court and passing it. Like leading it similar to how a point guard would. Wilt couldn’t do that. Wilt was very mobile for his size though.
Rest In Peace Bill Russell❤️
this channel derserve more subscribers.
Gone but never forgotten
Well said. If I could create an all-time starting 5, he'd be my center
Agree. I wouldn't think twice about it.
Amen
How bout prime shaq?
@@joostwillem8596 Nope. Russell's a much better defender, & he wouldn't have an issue with sacrificing his scoring. Hakeem & Duncan are the other 2 big men on my all-time team. I considered Wilt for the starting 5, but there are too many issues with ego & clutch ability (& I can't see him accepting a bench role)
Same here. It would be Johnson, Jordan, Bird, James, and Russell. With Pop as coach.
Happy birthday Bill Russell
He was the greatest in his time, nobody comes close
His social activism is even greater.
An American icon.
Anyone else here after the documentary? It’s crazy that mainly defense made this man so great. Was there even a defensive player of the year back then? Him winning the mvp 5 times averaging the points that he did was awesome.
He could play today because of his style. He was an athlete and new the game. He could get up and down the court like a shorter Gianis and one of the best defensive and rebounders ever. The leadership of Steve Rogers and only care about winning.
R.I.P Bill Russell
I'll never pick Russell over Wilt, but that's because Wilt was a freak. Russell is a legend that would fit in every era, an athletic, quick center that dominates defensively is incredibly helpful, in today's era he'd be a great help to any team. R.I.P. legend
R.I.P. Legend 🍀🏀⛹️
Rest In Peace Bill🕊
RIP GREAT
Just watched this yesterday man... Rest in Peace
Great man . And rest in piece to bill Russell. Rest in piece #6 ☘️🕊
Russel handled Chamberlain which was stronger and more athletic than ANY of today's players. Considering the way he was the center of his teams regarding the ORGANIZATION of offence, he could become the leader of any team, past or present. His dominant defense and his ability to drive teammates to be their best by taking off their plate some defensive aspects, would make him as dominant today.
He was the greatest player ever. He has the titles to prove it. The Celtics in their prime were to basketball what the New York Yankees in their prime were to baseball.
Those USF unis are fire.
Wow I'm in ore of the great man I had no idea sure I've heard of him and knew of the dominance of the Celtics back in the day but thanks for this footage I grew up watching NBA in the mid 80s not in the US ,but great to be educated by old school footage 👍
Rip bill Russell 🕊🕊🕊
bill russell could play in any era he had that attitude
Thank you for everything bill Russell, RIP legend
He was on the Mount Rushmore of sport when I was growing up. For me, it was Bill, Wilt, Willie, and Johnny U.
Rest in peace.
I was actually first, I just didn’t have the cameras on
HA LOL
S t o l e n
It doesn't count cause it's not in the ABA
@@ightden8330 wow, no shit
nosa0xl_ 26 shh ain’t nobody needa know
He pioneered shot blocking and was the rebounding/blocking anchor of the first fast break offense while being the best defender in the league for years and even in his last years the smartest defender. He won 5 MVPs when the players voted. His first 3 years in the league were: title, mvp, title. Probably the all time MVP even if Jordan and Lebron are the most skilled.
He was a great one. I would LOVE to see him play in todays game to see what he could do.