Bill Russell was Basketball’s Jackie Robinson. As a young boy, I idolized him. Still do. People of great character and integrity are very few and very far between and generally misunderstood. That a notorious racist like Adolph Rupp advocated “forgetting” Bill Russell says it all - much like our present “leadership” would forget the Jim Crow lunch counters, the fire hoses and the dogs of Bull Connor. May we never forget. RIP, Russ.
When I was a kid, there were no teams anywhere near where we lived. We adopted the Celtics and Bill Russell was our all-time favorite. He stood by his principles in a world and a time when that could get you killed.
As a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics, the thrill of my lifetime was meeting and hearing Bill Russell at a speaking engagement at Salem State College in Salem, MA. Can I tell you how lucky I was having the Celtics as the home team ? Mr Russell was so gracious that evening. He posed for pictures with all of us. I had mine blown up to poster size, matted and framed. To this day, it is one of my most cherished items. His greatness extended beyond sports.
In 1963 Bill Russell stated that there are "two societies in this country". 42 years later and there still are two societies. Separated now, not as much by black or white, but by the ultra wealthy and everyone else. In their glee in supporting the Trump regime's erasure of our shared past, Americans have instead allowed our democratic republic to be sold to Trump's cronies. As Americans, we should acknowledge our shared history so that we can meet today's challenges.
P.S. Katherine Houghton was Sidney Poitier's fiancee. Katherine Hepburn was her mom.
I get it. I wouldn’t have gone back then either. The real victory was the accomplishment of being a great player. Who needs some cracker ass fake award by a bunch of white blowhards with gold chains in suits? My dad was a Baptist minister, white, and quit the church when the deacons wouldn’t let black worshippers enter the church in the late 60’s in south GA. He went on to teach middle school in a predominantly black community which was fine with him. Not particularly athletic as an adult, he somehow became coach of the basketball team and they somehow won their regional championship. Soooo, it was off to Atlanta for the state competition. He had to go to parents to get permission for the team to head out of town. Most of the children didn’t even have parents involved, maybe grandparents, other relatives or adults on a rotating basis…Not one of the adults had left their streets, town or county - not one. Somehow my dad kept a team ready to go to hotlanta, got the church van and they were off. Mother accompanied as a chaperone. Sure enough the aged van broke down on I - 75 and there were two white minister/musicians on the side of the highway with 10 young black boys in the late 60’s needing help. Daddy always said he was scared to death, how could he take care of his wife and those precious boys (plus a few cheerleaders). There were good people in south GA even in the 60’s, they helped, games were played, trophies won and everyone made it home. My mother is still alive and to this day, no matter where she is in GA, students come up to her and remember her, their children went to school with her and their grandchildren. We have to save public education. It brings us all together.
To be a great athlete is one aspect of a life. It does come with a lot of meaningless spotlight and fanfare that has little depth. To live your life in a society that does not value you as a person, but does as a successful athlete, only serves to ignore and possibly validate the discrimination. I honor Bill Russell as the greatest center I ever watched play basketball in his era. I respect Bill Russell for taking a stand for what really matters in our relationships with others. He showed us that we should never celebrate greatness while ignoring bigotry, hate and structural discrimination. Hopefully we look at our collective soul when we think of that man.
Bill Russell was Basketball’s Jackie Robinson. As a young boy, I idolized him. Still do. People of great character and integrity are very few and very far between and generally misunderstood. That a notorious racist like Adolph Rupp advocated “forgetting” Bill Russell says it all - much like our present “leadership” would forget the Jim Crow lunch counters, the fire hoses and the dogs of Bull Connor. May we never forget. RIP, Russ.
When I was a kid, there were no teams anywhere near where we lived. We adopted the Celtics and Bill Russell was our all-time favorite. He stood by his principles in a world and a time when that could get you killed.
Further, after some reminiscing about that era, I learn that Bob Cousy is still above ground at 96. I had no idea.
As a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics, the thrill of my lifetime was meeting and hearing Bill Russell at a speaking engagement at Salem State College in Salem, MA. Can I tell you how lucky I was having the Celtics as the home team ? Mr Russell was so gracious that evening. He posed for pictures with all of us. I had mine blown up to poster size, matted and framed. To this day, it is one of my most cherished items. His greatness extended beyond sports.
In 1963 Bill Russell stated that there are "two societies in this country". 42 years later and there still are two societies. Separated now, not as much by black or white, but by the ultra wealthy and everyone else. In their glee in supporting the Trump regime's erasure of our shared past, Americans have instead allowed our democratic republic to be sold to Trump's cronies. As Americans, we should acknowledge our shared history so that we can meet today's challenges.
P.S. Katherine Houghton was Sidney Poitier's fiancee. Katherine Hepburn was her mom.
Thank you for sharing this. I understand this man. Thank you Bill Russell.
It’s a good thing that he doesn’t have to live through the second Trump term and his racist agenda. May he rest in peace.
Bill Russell - one of the greats!
Sadly the people of Boston did not treat him well. RIP
I get it. I wouldn’t have gone back then either. The real victory was the accomplishment of being a great player. Who needs some cracker ass fake award by a bunch of white blowhards with gold chains in suits? My dad was a Baptist minister, white, and quit the church when the deacons wouldn’t let black worshippers enter the church in the late 60’s in south GA. He went on to teach middle school in a predominantly black community which was fine with him. Not particularly athletic as an adult, he somehow became coach of the basketball team and they somehow won their regional championship. Soooo, it was off to Atlanta for the state competition. He had to go to parents to get permission for the team to head out of town. Most of the children didn’t even have parents involved, maybe grandparents, other relatives or adults on a rotating basis…Not one of the adults had left their streets, town or county - not one. Somehow my dad kept a team ready to go to hotlanta, got the church van and they were off. Mother accompanied as a chaperone. Sure enough the aged van broke down on I - 75 and there were two white minister/musicians on the side of the highway with 10 young black boys in the late 60’s needing help. Daddy always said he was scared to death, how could he take care of his wife and those precious boys (plus a few cheerleaders). There were good people in south GA even in the 60’s, they helped, games were played, trophies won and everyone made it home. My mother is still alive and to this day, no matter where she is in GA, students come up to her and remember her, their children went to school with her and their grandchildren. We have to save public education. It brings us all together.
To be a great athlete is one aspect of a life. It does come with a lot of meaningless spotlight and fanfare that has little depth. To live your life in a society that does not value you as a person, but does as a successful athlete, only serves to ignore and possibly validate the discrimination. I honor Bill Russell as the greatest center I ever watched play basketball in his era. I respect Bill Russell for taking a stand for what really matters in our relationships with others. He showed us that we should never celebrate greatness while ignoring bigotry, hate and structural discrimination. Hopefully we look at our collective soul when we think of that man.
I think you meant Katharine Hepburn
Just wow. In a good and admiring way.