Bill's Bio

• Bill Russell was a professional basketball player/coach who spent his entire career with the Boston Celtics.
• He was born on February 12, 1934, in Monroe, Louisiana, & raised in Oakland, California.
• Russell played college basketball at the University of San Francisco, where he played a key role in the team winning the 1955 & 1956 NCAA Championship.
• He was the first overall pick in the 1956 NBA Draft & went on to become Rookie of the Year in 1957.
• During his career with the Boston Celtics, Russell acquired 11 NBA titles & five MVP's, contributing significantly to the team's success.
• After his playing career, Russell became a coach & guided the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA title in 1979.
• He was later inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 & named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996.
• Known for his defensive prowess & leadership on the court, Russell is regarded as one of the greatest NBA players of all time.

American Activist:

• Russell was a advocate for civil rights & used his platform as a professional basketball player to speak out against injustice and discrimination.
• He participated in numerous civil rights demonstrations & marches, including the March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom in 1963, where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
• Russell was one of the founders of the Olympic Project for Human Rights, an organization that sought to use the power of the Olympic Games to promote civil rights & equality.
• He also worked with other civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, & supported initiatives to promote racial equality in education & employment.
• Russell's activism & leadership earned him numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.