Bill Russell to be awarded US Medal of Freedom - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

JohnR · 11-19-2010, 06:45 PM

His playing days over before I was born, he is one of the greats I wish I had seen play. His interviews always show a great man. Some bad times during his career in Boston but good times too. Lots if change.

Quote:

Today, President Obama named fifteen recipients of the 2010 Medal of Freedom -- the Nation's highest civilian honor -- presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. [...]
Bill Russell is the former Boston Celtics' Captain who almost single-handedly redefined the game of basketball. Russell led the Celtics to a virtually unparalleled string of eleven championships in thirteen years and was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player five times. The first African American to coach in the NBA -- indeed he was the first to coach a major sport at the professional level in the United States -- Bill Russell is also an impassioned advocate of human rights. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and has been a consistent advocate of equality.

Announcing The 2010 Medal of Freedom Recipients | The White House

fishsmith · 11-20-2010, 08:09 AM

Well deserved. A player coach who won a championship is amazing (at a time when being a black man in Boston had it's challenges). Now LeBron wears his #6 because in his eyes it was disrespectful to wear Jordans #23

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Mike P · 11-20-2010, 09:58 AM

I saw Russ play a few times, back when the Celts played a few "home" games at the old RI Auditorium (Lou Pieri was part owner of the team with Walter Brown).

Russell was as quick as a cat. My one memory is him defending a 2 on 1 break, and switching off the passer and blocking the lay-up attempt from the other guy.

Russ was a scoring machine at USF in college, but concentrated on defense and rebounding as a pro. The Celts had plenty of other guys who could put points on the board, but Russell owned the paint on D.

He never lost the final game of a championship series--either in college, at the 1956 Olympics, or in the NBS. He had 2 NCAA championships and a gold medal to go with his 11 NBA titles. His only loss in a play-off series was in the Eastern Conference finals in 1967, to Wilt's 76ers. That Sixers team was one of the great NBA teams of all times. He was injured for the championship series against the Hawks in the late 1950s, or else it would have been 12 championships in 13 seasons with the C's. The Celts won without Cousy and Sharman, they won without Heinsohn, they won without KC Jones, but without Russell, they never would have won a damn thing.

In my mind, it's a toss-up between him and Bobby Orr for the honor of Boston's greatest athlete.