SLAM DUNK
What seemed like the third wheel of a difficult triple whammy for geeks quickly changed to relief after they realised this was the basketball one. Bill Russell was one of the very best to dribble the orange ball, and often cited as the sport’s greatest player pre-Jordan. A center for the Boston Celtics, he compensated for a middling offence with a fearsome defensive prowess and a talent for rebounding. This would form the crux of a dominant 13-year run for the Celtics that won him 11 championships, first solely as a player and later as player-coach. Russell won more championships than any other basketballer, and only NHL’s Henri Richard equaled him among North American sports leagues. Also noted was his professional rivalry with Wilt Chamberlain, with the question of the better player a wash – the Stilt posted superior lifetime stats, outrebounding and outscoring (with both points and women) Russell, but Russell had the better win ratio. He did it all through dealing with constant racism during both his childhood and his playing career, and off the court was an outspoken opponent against bigotry. Russell was 88 and picked by Equatic Doom and Saturday Night Dead.
Bill Russell
12 February 1934 – 31 July 2022, aged 88
2 TEAMS (💀💀💀💀💀💀 6 POINTS)