Celtic Great Bill Russell Dead at 88

Dell Dude

EOG Master
I want to cee updated life expectancy. I think seasoned centenarians are going the Christopher Wray of complete games.
 

Heim

EOG Master
Russell couldn't play in today's game. There were no great center back then except Wilt. And he did give Wilt fits...

But to guard a guy like Olajuwon...no chance.
 

boston massacre

EOG Master
Russell couldn't play in today's game. There were no great center back then except Wilt. And he did give Wilt fits...

But to guard a guy like Olajuwon...no chance.


But Nobody Today, Can Do What Russell Did Back Then.

Play 13 Seasons and Win 11 Championships.

Russell Couldn't Lure The Best Players In The League, To Come Sign With The Celtics.

Free Agency Hadn't Arrived.

LeBron James Has Been Doing It His Whole Career.

He'll Never Catch Russell.

Russell Used Both Hands To Wear His Rings and It Still Wasn't Enough Space To Show Them All.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
But Nobody Today, Can Do What Russell Did Back Then.

Play 13 Seasons and Win 11 Championships.

Russell Couldn't Lure The Best Players In The League, To Come Sign With The Celtics.

Free Agency Hadn't Arrived.

LeBron James Has Been Doing It His Whole Career.

He'll Never Catch Russell.

Russell Used Both Hands To Wear His Rings and It Still Wasn't Enough Space To Show Them All.

I once told a huge Bill Russell fan that Russell will go down as the greatest team player of all-time.

To which the Bill Russell fan responded, "Yes and that makes him the greatest player in NBA history because basketball is a team game."
 
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boston massacre

EOG Master
I once told a huge Bill Russell fan that Russell will go down as the greatest team player of all-time.

To which the Bill Russell fan responded, "Yes and that makes him the greatest player of all-time because basketball is a team game."

League MVP 5 Times.

2 Of Those 5 Years, He Was Only 2nd Team All NBA.

Doesn't Make Sense.

Here's How It Worked.

Players Voted For League MVP.

Sports Writers Voted For 1st and 2nd Team All NBA.

Players Competed Against Russell.

Not Sports Writers.
 

boston massacre

EOG Master
Great Duos.

Belichick/ Brady.

Walsh/Montana

Noll/Bradshaw

Add Any Duo You Want.

Nobody's Put Up Numbers Like This Duo.


1659322386207.png


NHL's Blake/ Richard The Closest.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Russell couldn't play in today's game. There were no great center back then except Wilt. And he did give Wilt fits...

But to guard a guy like Olajuwon...no chance.

Hakeem Olajuwon was unstoppable in his prime.

Was it when he changed his name from Akeem to Hakeem?

Haha.

Olajuwon made Patrick Ewing and David Robinson, two centers known for their defensive prowess, look silly on many occasions.

It seemed Robinson's career took a turn for the worse when Tim Duncan blossomed into a superstar while Ewing was stuck battling Jordan and the Bulls in the Eastern Conference for the decade of the '90s.

One plus about Ewing's professional career: He developed a slick offensive game in the NBA after Big John Thompson schooled him to be a defensive-minded center at Georgetown.
 

Crazy Pete

EOG Addicted
11 Championships is very impressive!

But MUCH easier to win it in the early 60’s… there were only 12 teams total.

Beat the Syracuse Nationals & advance to the conference championships.

And they got breaks:

Laker Frank Selvy missed a Championship winning shot, Celtics win in OT.

Don Nelson’s lucky shot.

“Havlicek steals the ball!”

Wilt inexplicably on the bench for the last several minutes of a close game 7.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Crazy Pete makes a great point about the size of the league in the 1950s and 60s.

The NBA was home to fewer than 10 teams for the bulk of Russell's career.

From 1955-61, the NBA consisted of eight teams and from 1961-66, they expanded to nine teams.

That's the dirty little secret of the Celtics dynasty.
 

kane

EOG master
Russell couldn't play in today's game. There were no great center back then except Wilt. And he did give Wilt fits...

But to guard a guy like Olajuwon...no chance.
No athlete in any sport that played long ago could play in today's game, how many home runs would the Babe hit if he was facing today's pitching?
 

Rockfish

EOG Addicted
Crazy Pete makes a great point about the size of the league in the 1950s and 60s.

The NBA was home to fewer than 10 teams for the bulk of Russell's career.

From 1955-61, the NBA consisted of eight teams and from 1961-66, they expanded to nine teams.

That's the dirty little secret of the Celtics dynasty.
Sounds a lot like the Montreal Canadiens winning all them cups before the 1967 season. Grand total of six teams in the league.
 

boston massacre

EOG Master
11 Championships is very impressive!

But MUCH easier to win it in the early 60’s… there were only 12 teams total.

Beat the Syracuse Nationals & advance to the conference championships.

And they got breaks:

Laker Frank Selvy missed a Championship winning shot, Celtics win in OT.

Don Nelson’s lucky shot.

“Havlicek steals the ball!”

Wilt inexplicably on the bench for the last several minutes of a close game 7.

there were only 12 teams total.

Which Means Russell Went Up Against The Top 144 Players In The World Every Season.

Today You Go Up Against The Top 384 Players In The World.

Talent Watered Down Today.

Wilt

16 Seasons.

2 Championships
 

boston massacre

EOG Master
Crazy Pete makes a great point about the size of the league in the 1950s and 60s.

The NBA was home to fewer than 10 teams for the bulk of Russell's career.

From 1955-61, the NBA consisted of eight teams and from 1961-66, they expanded to nine teams.

That's the dirty little secret of the Celtics dynasty.

From 1955-61, the NBA consisted of eight teams and from 1961-66, they expanded to nine teams.

With Those Numbers, Russell Went Up Against The Top 96 Players In The World Every Season.
 

boston massacre

EOG Master
Russell Won Championships Every Place He Played.

2 High School Championships.

2 College Championships.

Olympic Gold Medal.

11 NBA Championships.

Never Lost An NCAA Tournament Game.

Won 55 Games In A Row At U. San Fran

Never Lost A Championship Game In His Life.

At Any Level.

Played In 10 NBA Game 7's.

Win Or Go Home.

He Won Them All.

The Opponent Never Stopped Him At Any Level, When It Was A Trophy Game.
 

Dell Dude

EOG Master
Hakeem Olajuwon was unstoppable in his prime.

Was it when he changed his name from Akeem to Hakeem?

Haha.

Olajuwon made Patrick Ewing and David Robinson, two centers known for their defensive prowess, look silly on many occasions.

It seemed Robinson's career took a turn for the worse when Tim Duncan blossomed into a superstar while Ewing was stuck battling Jordan and the Bulls in the Eastern Conference for the decade of the '90s.

One plus about Ewing's professional career: He developed a slick offensive game in the NBA after Big John Thompson schooled him to be a defensive-minded center at Georgetown.

kane? I want to cee another JK KO.
 

Dell Dude

EOG Master
JK never learns his lesson. Still trying to throw that 40 yard rope when he has a 25 yard duck arm. Changing name from Akeem to Hakeem was the Olajuwan turning point? World B Free would like to have a word with you, JK.
 

Dell Dude

EOG Master
That's all I can do. I can make fun and taunt. kane can draw blood with elite counter analysis. Do it, kane. Put JK on the canvas again!
 

kane

EOG master
That's all I can do. I can make fun and taunt. kane can draw blood with elite counter analysis. Do it, kane. Put JK on the canvas again!
There isn't much I can say, it's impossible to compare players from different era's, Russell dominated his era, between his blocked shots and the shots he changed, he's probably the best defensive player of all time. The great Dave Bing tells a story of one time scoring like 40 against the Celtics, Russell came up to him after and told him not to enter the paint the next time they met, so the next game Bing avoided the lane and shot nothing but jumpers, that's how intimidating and how much respect Russell had
 

Don Eagleston

EOG Addicted
Russell couldn't play in today's game. There were no great center back then except Wilt. And he did give Wilt fits...

But to guard a guy like Olajuwon...no chance.
Russell never really guarded anybody. He would play two feet off his man to give him room to block the shot or to switch off to a driver or cutter. Russell was "cat-like" quick with extraordinary timing, but he had great help down low from the Jones boys, Havlicek, Siegfried, and the like.
 

Heim

EOG Master
Russell never really guarded anybody. He would play two feet off his man to give him room to block the shot or to switch off to a driver or cutter. Russell was "cat-like" quick with extraordinary timing, but he had great help down low from the Jones boys, Havlicek, Siegfried, and the like.

I've only seen video of him in action, but you are spot on. Who would he guard back then? Mel Counts, Walt Bellamy? Yes compared
to them, he was a man amongst boys.

One of the greatest centers ever. Not even top three, plus give me Wilt any day in that era.


P.S. Russell was a complete dick to the press and would never sign autographs.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
JK never learns his lesson. Still trying to throw that 40 yard rope when he has a 25 yard duck arm. Changing name from Akeem to Hakeem was the Olajuwan turning point? World B Free would like to have a word with you, JK.

Add "25-yard duck arm" to my EOG glossary.
 

Heim

EOG Master
there were only 12 teams total.

Which Means Russell Went Up Against The Top 144 Players In The World Every Season.

Today You Go Up Against The Top 384 Players In The World.

Talent Watered Down Today.

Wilt

16 Seasons.

2 Championships


Name me one guy on the Sixers that played with Wilt? How he won one was amazing.

When he got on a team it didn't take long with that 71-72 Laker squad.
 
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