Bill Russell’s impact on basketball is forever etched into history. Not only did he leave his mark on the NBA, he helped create a legacy and a tradition of winning in Boston that has made the Celtics one of the most popular NBA teams today.
In high school all Russell had going for him was raw athletic potential. He lacked the fundamentals expected of a basketball player during his era.
By the time he retired however, Russell won 11 rings in his 13-year career as a player on the back of his defensive brilliance, helping revolutionize the way centers play the game.
Nine of those rings came in the 1960s, an era which was dominated by the Celtics dynasty, and two of them came as player-head coach of the Celtics, a role he served for the final three years of his career.
Interestingly Bill Russell may not have been a Boston Celtics legend had it not been for a smart piece of business by the Celtics back office.
Russell was in fact originally drafted by the St. Louis Hawks. He may have played his entire career there and quite possibly have become an Atlanta Hawks legend, although it’s difficult to imagine him playing there with the racial issues in the city at the time.
Boston was viewed as a more progressive city and preferred choice for Russell. He was traded to the Celtics for Cliff Hagan. The 11 rings that Russell won in Boston makes the move the best NBA trade of all time.
High School champ, 2x NCAA champ, Olympic Gold & 11 NBA ring winner BILL RUSSELL 🐐 pic.twitter.com/Wgip1tnOZH
— Christine Pelosi (@sfpelosi) February 8, 2021
Best Defender in NBA History
In a league that has featured lockdown superstars including Hakeem Olajuwon, Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen, it’s Bill Russell who is the best defender in NBA history. At a time when defense prioritized flat-footedness to react quickly, Russell bucked the trend by jumping instead of staying flat-footed to make defensive plays.
Russell dominated the paint like no other using his 7-foot-4 wingspan like a cheat code. He averaged over 22 rebounds per game and blocked shots for fun.
Blocks only became an official NBA stat in 1985. With Russell retiring in 1969 we’ll never know exactly how many blocks he got but it’s thought that he blocked around 12 shots per game.
Rebounds and shot blocks are the most telltale sign of Russell’s defensive brilliance but he also possessed exceptional athleticism for someone standing at 6-foot-10.
The defensive intelligence he displayed on the court was far beyond anybody else and he had an ability to anticipate opponents moves and react before they even happened.
Throughout Bill Russell’s 13 years:
Celtics rORTG: -2.0
Celtics rDRTG: +7.2
Boston won all 11 championships with below average offenses
In 3 seasons, (’61, ’63, ’64) Boston had the worst offense in the NBA, but still won the title.
They were winning strictly off of defense. pic.twitter.com/VIBnYlFqT1
— Ball (@BallMuse23) July 16, 2023
Tactically, Russell was a genius. He was excellent at “help defense” and often moved away from his man to disrupt passing lanes and to quickly collapse opposing teams offensive plays. Despite being aggressive on defense, he somehow was able to avoid unnecessary fouls.
Opponents knew that Russell was good which is unsurprising for one of the best players ever. He used it to his advantage and was a master at trash-talking, no doubt an intimidating and unsettling matchup for anybody who dared to go up against him.
Bill Russell Rings
The 11 Bill Russell rings won during his career is an NBA record. It’s a record that is practically impossible to beat, especially when you consider that aside from the Celtics, only the Lakers franchise has more NBA rings than Russell himself.
Lord of the Rings. Bill Russell won 11 Championships with the #celtics during his incredible career. This ring, from 1957, sold for $705,000 today at auction. pic.twitter.com/3Pk3IFuBgC
— Joe Orlando (@CollectingByJoe) December 11, 2021
In December 2021, not long before his death, an auction selling 429 lots of Russell memorabilia was hosted at TD Garden. Sales topped more than $5 million with his game-worn jersey from his final game selling for $1.1 million.
The Bill Russell ring from the 1957 NBA Finals championship win over the St. Louis Hawks in seven games is the most highly sought after of his 11 rings.
It was the ring from Russell’s first NBA championship and came during his rookie year, selling for an impressive $705,000.
Bill Russell Net Worth
Winning 11 NBA rings and being one of the best NBA players of all time is always going to help a player’s net worth. At the time of his passing, Bill Russell is said to have been worth a cool $10 million at the time of his death in 2022.
The best players in the NBA today get paid four times more in one season than Russell’s entire net worth. For an NBA superstar in the 1960s however, Russell was paid well.
In his rookie year Russell was on just $24,000 per year. Towards the end of his career he was reportedly the highest paid player in the NBA with an annual salary of $100,001, about $600,000 per season when adjusted for inflation.
Bill Russell remains a basketball icon which we’re unlikely to ever witness again. He leaves behind a legacy that is unmatched, with his number of rings seemingly untouchable.