The team was multitalented, with many great players, but the enduring image was that of Russell, his head thrust forward from the slight hunch of his shoulders, his eyes scanning the court, his long left arm snaking out to deflect a shot.

Philadelphia's Hal Greer inbounded to Chet Walker, but Havlicek stole the ball to seal the victory.That moment as called by famed Celtics broadcaster Johnny Most is an NBA treasure. Even the defense-oriented Celtics averaged 124.5 points. It was, however, a milestone made possible by Russell’s performance and larger significance. Bill Russell - Career stats, game logs, biographical info, awards, and achievements for the NBA and NCAA.

Russell took home one more championship before hanging up his sneakers for good in 1969. Granted, it was in part because no one could deal with the moody Russell except Russell himself, but it still made him the first African American coach in NBA history, as well as the first to win a title when Boston took the 1967–68 championship. Consequently, he typically improved his rebounding numbers during the playoffs, and in the 1959 postseason he pulled down 27.7 boards per game.The Celtics reached the NBA Finals for a third straight season and regained the crown with a four-game sweep of the Minneapolis Lakers. The Celtics finally prevailed, 125-123, for their first NBA championship.In only part of a season Russell had added a new element to the Celtics and to professional basketball.

But Russell became frustrated at the players' reluctance to embrace his team concept. Boston's 1959 title began an unprecedented and unequaled string of eight consecutive NBA championships.Interestingly, although Russell was not considered a skilled offensive player, he was a selective shooter and in his early years ranked regularly among the NBA's top five in field-goal percentage. Many of the Celtics' points now came when Russell plucked a defensive rebound and fired an outlet pass to Cousy, who would start Boston's vaunted and deadly fast break.The dynasty was beginning to establish itself under Auerbach, and "Boston Celtics" and "NBA champions" became practically synonymous as the decade progressed.

But Boston had lacked the rebounding and defense to win it all.

Over to Sam Jones.

Chamberlain's individual accomplishments were mind-boggling: he won the scoring title by averaging 50.4 points, while the team-oriented Celtics didn't place anybody in the top 10. They improved their regular-season record to 59-16 in 1959-60, at one point running off 17 straight victories. Britannica Premium: Serving the evolving needs of knowledge seekers. The debate over who was the greater player would last even longer.

His rebounding prowess derived from positioning, anticipating where the shot would come off of the rim and moving quickly to the ball. Boston won the title again in 1960-61, and Russell was named NBA Most Valuable Player, the first of his three consecutive MVP Awards.The next season, 1961-62, saw Russell register an 18.9 scoring average, his career high. Bill Russell is widely considered the greatest winner in team sports, winning 11 championships in 13 seasons. In 1964 they became the first team in the NBA to start an all-black lineup.

Auerbach’s lineup came out of necessity; he was notoriously indifferent to social causes and the opposing backlash. Before his arrival, the Celtics had been a shot-happy, nearly out-of-control team, led by passing wizard The Celtics were leading 97-95 with 34 seconds left when Russell took over. Auerbach had built a high-scoring offensive machine around guards Bob Cousy and Bill Sharman and undersized center Ed Macauley, but he hadn't been able to muster the defense and rebounding needed to transform the Celtics into a championship-caliber club. Get 30% your subscription today. In 1958-59, for example, his .457 mark was second in the league.Russell's greatest adversary, Wilt Chamberlain, entered the NBA and joined the Philadelphia Warriors for the 1959-60 season, setting up a decade-long rivalry.

Russell's impact on the game can't really be tracked through NBA statistics.

"The NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers was almost anticlimactic, as the Celtics claimed the championship in five games. For good measure, he might have had 12, had an ankle injury not sidelined him early in the 1958 NBA finals. In the Eastern Division finals, the club came back from a two-game deficit to force a seventh game with Chamberlain and the 76ers.

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