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Russell live in Monroe, Louisiana when he was born. He and his mom ( Katie ) and his dad ( Charles ) suffered threw racism and segregation.
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His early childhood was shaped by poor health, as the sickly Russell battled several different illnesses.
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When Russell was 10, his father, Charlie, fed up with trying to navigate a racially charged South, moved his family across the country to Oakland, California, where he found work at a shipyard.
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He had a difficult childhood and grew up in poverty. He lost his mother when he was just 12 years old.
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He went to McClymonds High School (MACK) where he started playing basketball. His coach, George Powles, encouraged the youngster to develop his skills and become a good player.
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He was offered a scholarship from the University of San Francisco (USF). He was very happy to receive this scholarship as it provided him an opportunity to escape a life of poverty and racism.
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He thrived at USF under Coach Phil Woolpert who helped him develop his unique technique of defense. He became the centerpiece of a USF team that became a formidable college basketball team.
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1956 NBA draft. In the 1956 NBA draft, Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach set his sights on Russell, thinking his defensive toughness and rebounding prowess were the missing pieces the Celtics needed.
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Before his NBA rookie year, Russell was the captain of the U.S. national basketball team that competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.
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Russell's rookie year he lead the team in rebound percentages and was the 3rd best on scoring and 2nd best on free throw average.
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After Russell's basketball career he took the job of his coach Red Auerbach and became the first African-american coach, he was also the first player-coach to win 2 championships.
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Russell's career was amazing. He finished with 11 rings and had the 2nd most rebounds in the NBA. Also he got MVP in 1963 NBA championship, was a 5 time MVP for his team also.
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Bill Russell is one of the best NBA players ever. He has the most championships won ever in the NBA (11).Bill Russell is still alive right now and he is 84 years old today.
