Bill Russell Biography

Fast Facts

• Drafted second overall in the 1956 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics
• His jersey number was retired by the Celtics on March 12th, 1972
• Honored with a statue at Boston's city hall in 2013
• Inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007
• Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975
• Inducted into the National Collegiate Hall of Fame in 2006
• Named captain of the 1956 U․S․ men's Olympic team, going on to lead the team to a gold medal
• Named league MVP in '59, '61-'63 and '65
• Earned a scholarship to play basketball at the University of San Francisco after he tried out as a walk-on in 1952
• Largely unathletic and practically orphaned as a child, he did not begin to excel in basketball after his high school coach named him to his team in the 11th grade
• Averaged at least 20 rebounds for 10 of his 13 seasons in the NBA
• Became the first NBA player to visit Africa in 1959
• Rejected an offer to play for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to declaring for the NBA draft