Bill Russell passes at 88

[FrostKing]

https://i.ibb.co/FVn454T/96-NSBB160087-Russell-scaled.jpg

11x Champion
Boston cultural icon
In the same conversation as Jackie

[R. DeMurre]

RIP. What a legend, for both basketball and civil rights.

[baseline bum]

https://i.ibb.co/FVn454T/96-NSBB160087-Russell-scaled.jpg

11x Champion
Boston cultural icon
In the same conversation as Jackie

:lmao Boston cultural icon

Boston fan called him ###### during games while he was winning 11 titles. He hated Boston and always said he played for the Celtics, not for Boston.

[Canyonero]

RIP

[MultiTroll]

:lol Laker Phan trying to steal from Minnesota and ride MVPRefs to come anywhere near to Bill.

[FrostKing]

:lmao Boston cultural icon

Boston fan called him ###### during games while he was winning 11 titles. He hated Boston and always said he played for the Celtics, not for Boston.
Noted and I tend to agree. But doesn't change how he is viewed today. Bostonians in 2022 rank him in their Sports Rushmore.

[Thread]

That fuck was there 9 June 1985 when we finally broke thru in the Garden. So was the other fuck Auerbach.

[Rummpd]

GCOTA

Greatest champion of them all and the man who outplayed the out world talent of Wilt often when it mattered. Then became a great coach and an activist for social good. A life very well lived Mr. Russell.

[Killakobe81]

:lmao Boston cultural icon

Boston fan called him ###### during games while he was winning 11 titles. He hated Boston and always said he played for the Celtics, not for Boston.

This plus they shit in his bed

[Rummpd]

Legit argument he is true and only candidate as GOAT as winning basketball is not about stats and more importantly was a top tier man in all regards. I played golf in SA with David Robinson in a tournament and he said Russell greatest ever and cannot disagree. Rest In Peace

[baseline bum]

This plus they shit in his bed

John Salley claimed that Russell got beat up for marrying a white woman too.

[ElNono]

RIP

[Rummpd]

First all time in defense win shares of course. 2nd is another winner the almost as great Tim Duncan.

[Dirks_Finale]

Quality human being - RIP.

[lefty]

RIP

[Neo.]

I played golf in SA with David Robinson in a tournament and he said Russell greatest ever and cannot disagree. Rest In Peace

oh yeah i heard about him playing in the retard-am a while back

how was it?

[Isitjustme?]

1553822199164932096

[Bynumite]

Glorified Draymond Green. RIP nonetheless.

[Isitjustme?]

Glorified Draymond Green. RIP nonetheless.

Careful you don't cut yourself on that edge there bro

[monosylab1k]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsJMnnKgNjg

[JamStone]

RIP

Greatest winner in sports history. Doesn’t mean he was the greatest player, or even one of the greatest ever. A center that could never shoot anywhere close to 50% from the field? Terrible free throw shooter. Stacked team. Weak competition. Without the stacked teams that helped him win all those rings in a universally considered weak era, he’d be viewed similarly to guys like Dikembe or Ben Wallace.

The absurd amount of rings offers an argument. But not a very strong one imo.

[lefty]

But less teams = more difficult to get a pro contract = only the best players made it in the NBA back then

Isn't it supposed to be better than a league diluted by expansion?

[lefty]

That fuck was there 9 June 1985 when we finally broke thru in the Garden. So was the other fuck Auerbach.
They were also there when in the forum when the balloons were ready
But the balloons just stayed there, and Russell had the last laugh

[Thread]

They were also there when in the forum when the balloons were ready
But the balloons just stayed there, and Russell had the last laugh

True, but he had to enter his house knowing that the Lakers broke thru in Boston, 9 June 1985. Auerbach as well.

[MultiTroll]

They were also there when in the forum when the balloons were ready
But the balloons just stayed there, and Russell had the last laugh
The balloons just stayed there.
https://petschoolclassroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/rose-ringed-parakeet-4033916_1920-e1579814300862-768x513.jpg

[JamStone]

But less teams = more difficult to get a pro contract = only the best players made it in the NBA back then

Isn't it supposed to be better than a league diluted by expansion?

Nice argument in theory. Not so good argument in reality.

The pool of worthy candidates who wanted to play basketball as a career wasn’t as deep or as rich in talent as it is now. Not even talking about globally, just across sports in general. Basketball wasn’t the sport in the 1960s it is now, drawing the interest of the best athletes. The better athletes were still playing baseball and football before basketball, the best jumpers and sprinters still running tracking and field.

If you want to say only the best players played in the league because it was a smaller league, there’s probably some truth to it. I’d argue the best players back then weren’t anywhere near the standard of basketball talent nor the wealth of talent there is now. So it made less of a difference that there were few per roster spots. It’s how you look at it.

[lefty]

Nice argument in theory. Not so good argument in reality.

The pool of worthy candidates who wanted to play basketball as a career wasn’t as deep or as rich in talent as it is now. Not even talking about globally, just across sports in general. Basketball wasn’t the sport in the 1960s it is now, drawing the interest of the best athletes. The better athletes were still playing baseball and football before basketball, the best jumpers and sprinters still running tracking and field.

If you want to say only the best players played in the league because it was a smaller league, there’s probably some truth to it. I’d argue the best players back then weren’t anywhere near the standard of basketball talent nor the wealth of talent there is now. So it made less of a difference that there were few per roster spots. It’s how you look at it.

Good point

[ambchang]

Russell was an elite athlete back in the day and with training can be better in todays game. He also started late (university or so when he started to blossom). He was also very smart in his approach.

He’s probably still be an elite defender in todays game and be a nightmare on the roll along with great passing. Likely a billionaires bam adebayo.

[MultiTroll]

:lol Laker Phans beak clogged with peanut butter, being unable to attempt the usual parroting.

"But but but Bill Russell didn't wear a burqa as styling as Kobme."

[Thread]

:lol Laker Phans beak clogged with peanut butter, being unable to attempt the usual parroting.

"But but but Bill Russell didn't wear a burqa as styling as Kobme."

He was a shit who could dish it, but could not take it. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

[FrostKing]

Bill clearly would have developed a killer Corner 3

I see Rasheed with more discipline and IQ

[DMC]

People today have no ability to use reference, they only know what they have today. The lightbulb and airplane weren't great inventions, they weren't even close to what we have today.

[lefty]

Bill clearly would have developed a killer Corner 3

I see Rasheed with more discipline and IQ
:lol no

he shot 43% while playing close to the basket

[MultiTroll]

:lol no

he shot 43% while playing close to the basket
Bill turns around and he's looking at Wilt the Stilt and other herteros on D.

Todays NBA center turns around and sees Gaymond Green and a ref spooning.

[FrostKing]

:lol no

he shot 43% while playing close to the basket
> Winner at every level he played

Wouldn't be able to adapt?

[Thread]

> Winner at every level he played

Wouldn't be able to adapt?

By God, he stood sentinel with Auerbach, Heinsohn, CBS color man 9 June 1985 as the Lakers broke thru in Boston.

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/248b03f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x395+0+0/resize/840x566!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fde%2F78%2Fbe39c95212 7941048cfd64f93afb%2Fla-sp-lakers1985.3_k1wq8qnc

[Chris Fall]

> Winner at every level he played

Wouldn't be able to adapt?

Never had to adapt his game or improve his offense.

What evidence is there that he would be able to?

He won 11 titles shooting worse than Kobe from the field as an athletic 6'10 guy shooting close to the rim. Yes, you read that correctly. Shot worse than Kobe from the field.

[MultiTroll]

He won 11 titles shooting worse than Kobe from the field as an athletic 6'10 guy shooting close to the rim. Yes, you read that correctly. Shot worse than Kobe from the field.
Pathetic comparison.
Kobmes % was massively inflated by all the times he shot yet another All Time Record Brick but the shot attempt was erased by Laker Ref.

Besides, players have had more time to study jump shooting, advanced weight lifting etc.
Sure a young Bill Russell would tap into all the advantages a modern day player has.

FOH

[Chris Fall]

Lol the Kobe reference was to emphasize how poorly Russell shot from the field. Ignore the Kobe reference if you want. Is a career 44.0% field goal percentage (43.0% in the playoffs) good for a 6'10 center who took most of his shots at or near the rim? Especially a 6'10 center who was particularly athletic for his era and competition?

Wilt shot 54.0% from the field for his career. Walt Bellamy 51.6% from the field for his career. Russell was at best an average big man scorer in an era where physically he should have dominated pretty much every opponent at the rim other than Wilt. Why would you pardon significantly inefficient scoring by Russell? Isn't he in the conversation of greatest ever? Why be lenient on greatness standards with him?

Russell can have all the study time he wants. Don't you think guys like Shaq and Dwight Howard studied and practiced how to shoot? Why were they never good at it? Some players, even all time great ones, just don't improve offensively. No matter how much they study, how much they work, how much they practice. Why assume Russell could have just flipped the switch and become a good scorer in the modern game? And even if he were to take advantage of modern technology, what do you think that takes away from? His work and practice on his defensive craft. All of a sudden, a guy who was a generational talent defensively is merely a pretty good defender and an average offensive player. And what kind of player does he go down in NBA history as then?

Assuming Bill Russell in today's era would just simply become an efficient scorer and/or good jump shooter is naive, if not point blank foolish.

[lefty]

Lol the Kobe reference was to emphasize how poorly Russell shot from the field. Ignore the Kobe reference if you want. Is a career 44.0% field goal percentage (43.0% in the playoffs) good for a 6'10 center who took most of his shots at or near the rim? Especially a 6'10 center who was particularly athletic for his era and competition?

Wilt shot 54.0% from the field for his career. Walt Bellamy 51.6% from the field for his career. Russell was at best an average big man scorer in an era where physically he should have dominated pretty much every opponent at the rim other than Wilt. Why would you pardon significantly inefficient scoring by Russell? Isn't he in the conversation of greatest ever? Why be lenient on greatness standards with him?

Russell can have all the study time he wants. Don't you think guys like Shaq and Dwight Howard studied and practiced how to shoot? Why were they never good at it? Some players, even all time great ones, just don't improve offensively. No matter how much they study, how much they work, how much they practice. Why assume Russell could have just flipped the switch and become a good scorer in the modern game? And even if he were to take advantage of modern technology, what do you think that takes away from? His work and practice on his defensive craft. All of a sudden, a guy who was a generational talent defensively is merely a pretty good defender and an average offensive player. And what kind of player does he go down in NBA history as then?

Assuming Bill Russell in today's era would just simply become an efficient scorer and/or good jump shooter is naive, if not point blank foolish.
https://media1.giphy.com/media/duM6JZemPlOjUyqmxd/giphy.gif

[Brazil]

Russell can have all the study time he wants. Don't you think guys like Shaq and Dwight Howard studied and practiced how to shoot? Why were they never good at it? .

not making the case in one way or another for Bill but here you took two of worst examples possible. Howard had no work ethic whatsoever, he never studied anything. As for Shaq I would not go that far but he is kind known to not be the biggest gym rat of the place tbf

[Chris Fall]

Fine. I took physically athletically gifted bigs who are HoF caliber or close to it, in Dwight's case. That's the comparison. But ok.

Why isn't defensive great Rudy Gobert a three point sharpshooter? Why can't Giannis, one of the hardest workers in the league, be a competent three point shooter?

You can't assume that Bill Russell becomes a better or more efficient offensive player simply by being born later and playing in this era.

[Brazil]

Fine. I took physically athletically gifted bigs who are HoF caliber or close to it, in Dwight's case. That's the comparison. But ok.

Why isn't defensive great Rudy Gobert a three point sharpshooter? Why can't Giannis, one of the hardest workers in the league, be a competent three point shooter?

You can't assume that Bill Russell becomes a better or more efficient offensive player simply by being born later and playing in this era.

I don't disagree with that tbh... Bill was first and foremost a defensive stronghold, I don't believe he has ever focused on his offense or never cared for that.

He was a team first player, there is a reason why he was a big Duncan fan.

His achievements are undeniable I believe he is correctly ranked and considered tbh... Nobody put him in top 5 of all time anyway.

[MultiTroll]

Fine. I took physically athletically gifted bigs who are HoF caliber or close to it, in Dwight's case. That's the comparison. But ok.

Why isn't defensive great Rudy Gobert a three point sharpshooter? Why can't Giannis, one of the hardest workers in the league, be a competent three point shooter
It can't be assumed Bill would be better or worse in todays NBA.
He was guarded by heterosexual Centers like Nate Thurmond, Wilt the Stilt, Willis Reed and Wes Unseld. All HOF players and Bill had to face them on the regular with only 8 teams. Contrast that with some of :lol todays NBA centers.

That Bill was team and defense 1st should in no way shape or form be taken as points off.
So he needed to get better on offense, i predict he would. We'll never know. Or would he have some Beautiful Game teams like Timmy Duncan was foundation of?

Timmy Duncs PF with Bill Russell playing center. I like it.

[Thread]

By God, he stood sentinel with Auerbach, Heinsohn, CBS color man 9 June 1985 as the Lakers broke thru in Boston.

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/248b03f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x395+0+0/resize/840x566!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fde%2F78%2Fbe39c95212 7941048cfd64f93afb%2Fla-sp-lakers1985.3_k1wq8qnc

[Isitjustme?]

By God, he stood sentinel with Auerbach, Heinsohn, CBS color man 9 June 1985 as the Lakers broke thru in Boston.

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/248b03f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x395+0+0/resize/840x566!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fde%2F78%2Fbe39c95212 7941048cfd64f93afb%2Fla-sp-lakers1985.3_k1wq8qnc
You guys took him to the wedshood nary a single time when he played.

Let us proceed...

[DMC]

Bill turns around and he's looking at Wilt the Stilt and other herteros on D.

Todays NBA center turns around and sees Gaymond Green and a ref spooning.

:lol

[Chris Fall]

It can't be assumed Bill would be better or worse in todays NBA.
He was guarded by heterosexual Centers like Nate Thurmond, Wilt the Stilt, Willis Reed and Wes Unseld. All HOF players and Bill had to face them on the regular with only 8 teams. Contrast that with some of :lol todays NBA centers.

That Bill was team and defense 1st should in no way shape or form be taken as points off.
So he needed to get better on offense, i predict he would. We'll never know. Or would he have some Beautiful Game teams like Timmy Duncan was foundation of?

Timmy Duncs PF with Bill Russell playing center. I like it.

Lol Russell and Wes Unseld played in the NBA at the same time for one season. One. Season. The times Russell faced the Knicks when Reed was there, Reed was playing PF. But let's not let facts get in the way of a good story. Nate Thurmond would be fucking Hassan Whiteside in today's league. Wtf are some fans so nostalgically moronic? Wth does Russell's competition have to do with him shooting at a 44.0% clip for his career from the field? Isnt he in the discussion for goat? That's a percentage any other guy in the same goat discussion would get bashed for. Imagine other top 10 guys like Kareem, Wilt, Michael, LeBron, Hakeem, Duncan, Shaq shooting 44% from the field for their CAREERS, and noone criticizing it. Unbelievable.

It's not points off Russell for being team and defense first. It's points off for being an inefficient scorer. How the hell do you ignore that? You can be team and defense first and still not suck at the offensive end, especially when you're taking almost all your shots at or near the rim. It's just plain willing and voluntary stupidity on your part that you won't acknowledge it, even more so that you're trying to defend and justify it.

You predict that Russell would have improved on offense. Based on what? He played 13 seasons. Never improved from the field. Never improved at the free throw line. What the fuck is your prediction that he'd improve based on? Your erection over the fact Bill Russell "liked" Tim Duncan? You can't assume either way. So you have to base it on what type of player he was when he played. He never improved offensively. So your argument makes even less sense than your inaccurate, nonfactual examples of his competition back then.

Holy shit, you make some stupid fucking arguments.

[lefty]

Lol Russell and Wes Unseld played in the NBA at the same time for one season. One. Season. The times Russell faced the Knicks when Reed was there, Reed was playing PF. But let's not let facts get in the way of a good story. Nate Thurmond would be fucking Hassan Whiteside in today's league. Wtf are some fans so nostalgically moronic? Wth does Russell's competition have to do with him shooting at a 44.0% clip for his career from the field? Isnt he in the discussion for goat? That's a percentage any other guy in the same goat discussion would get bashed for. Imagine other top 10 guys like Kareem, Wilt, Michael, LeBron, Hakeem, Duncan, Shaq shooting 44% from the field for their CAREERS, and noone criticizing it. Unbelievable.

It's not points off Russell for being team and defense first. It's points off for being an inefficient scorer. How the hell do you ignore that? You can be team and defense first and still not suck at the offensive end, especially when you're taking almost all your shots at or near the rim. It's just plain willing and voluntary stupidity on your part that you won't acknowledge it, even more so that you're trying to defend and justify it.

You predict that Russell would have improved on offense. Based on what? He played 13 seasons. Never improved from the field. Never improved at the free throw line. What the fuck is your prediction that he'd improve based on? Your erection over the fact Bill Russell "liked" Tim Duncan? You can't assume either way. So you have to base it on what type of player he was when he played. He never improved offensively. So your argument makes even less sense than your inaccurate, nonfactual examples of his competition back then.

Holy shit, you make some stupid fucking arguments.
https://media4.giphy.com/media/SWd9mTHEMIxQ4/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47o19eyt2lt4tyqaz78qmgl0hkkexd ki0c57r86zj9&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g

[DMC]

Lol the Kobe reference was to emphasize how poorly Russell shot from the field. Ignore the Kobe reference if you want. Is a career 44.0% field goal percentage (43.0% in the playoffs) good for a 6'10 center who took most of his shots at or near the rim? Especially a 6'10 center who was particularly athletic for his era and competition?

Wilt shot 54.0% from the field for his career. Walt Bellamy 51.6% from the field for his career. Russell was at best an average big man scorer in an era where physically he should have dominated pretty much every opponent at the rim other than Wilt. Why would you pardon significantly inefficient scoring by Russell? Isn't he in the conversation of greatest ever? Why be lenient on greatness standards with him?

Russell can have all the study time he wants. Don't you think guys like Shaq and Dwight Howard studied and practiced how to shoot? Why were they never good at it? Some players, even all time great ones, just don't improve offensively. No matter how much they study, how much they work, how much they practice. Why assume Russell could have just flipped the switch and become a good scorer in the modern game? And even if he were to take advantage of modern technology, what do you think that takes away from? His work and practice on his defensive craft. All of a sudden, a guy who was a generational talent defensively is merely a pretty good defender and an average offensive player. And what kind of player does he go down in NBA history as then?

Assuming Bill Russell in today's era would just simply become an efficient scorer and/or good jump shooter is naive, if not point blank foolish.

This is true, and if study was all that was needed we'd have thousands of knock down 3pt shooters in the country. There's a reason people like Giannis and Klay end up where they do - they focus on their strengths because focusing on their weaknesses instead might not be good enough to get them into the NBA.

[Thread]

This is true, and if study was all that was needed we'd have thousands of knock down 3pt shooters in the country. There's a reason people like Giannis and Klay end up where they do - they focus on their strengths because focusing on their weaknesses instead might not be good enough to get them into the NBA.

D M C

[Thread]

You guys took him to the wedshood nary a single time when he played.

Let us proceed...

True, but he had watch us beat his Celtics- in Boston -9 June 1985 for the first time in NBA history. Sure, once it was done, media/MSM wanted nothing to do with it and moved away from like the AIDs, but it happened, and daddy, here we ain't forgettin', ever.

It's my religion.

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/248b03f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x395+0+0/resize/840x566!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fde%2F78%2Fbe39c95212 7941048cfd64f93afb%2Fla-sp-lakers1985.3_k1wq8qnc

[MultiTroll]

^ :lol pathetic desparation.

[scanry]

Cul back to his Pre-Covid days