OT: Bill Russell dead at 88

[Plainosooner]

Russell, I believe and have always contended, to much objection, was the greatest player in the history of the NBA. The consummate winner. His last two years of college, at a school that never won before or since, he won back to back national titles at U of San Francisco. Then in his 13 NBA seasons, the Celtics failed to win the title only twice, winning 11. One of the two, he was injured in game 3 of the finals, returned a played injured in game 5, but they Hawks won the finals 4-2.

I hated Russell when he was playing, because I hated the Celtics because they won every year. So I pulled for Wilt. The Celtics never won before he arrived. They only won during his career, and when he left, they sagged until they drafted Larry Bird a decade later. Greatest player, great human being, who championed African American rights when that was very unpopular. Headed the move for black athletes to boycott the All Star game at the height of his career, to get white owners to listen.

He and Wilt were friends. As much dignity as any man ever. I'm sad to hear of his passing.

 

[Scottsdale.Sooner]

As I recall, U. of San Fran was the only school to offer him a scholarship. He almost didn't make his high school team.

 

[Plainosooner]

As I recall, U. of San Fran was the only school to offer him a scholarship. He almost didn't make his high school team.

Both are correct. He didn't have great coaching and it was said he had poor fundamentals. The coach at USF saw some potential though and offered late. His junior and senior year, USF won 55 straight games. During his college career, the college three second lane and free throw circle was widened to it's present width, and in the NBA, they widened the lane from the college width, to the wider lane they have today.

He was also a world class high jumper. After he graduated, probably because he was black, the head of the IOC tried to get him excluded from the Olympics in basketball, claiming he'd signed a pro basketball contract. Russell won his challenge in 1956. But he said if he hadn't gone as a basketball player, he'd have gone as a high jumper. Late in his college career, he competed in an AAU meet and tied the high jumper for first, who won the Olympic gold medal. He also ran the 440 in under 50 seconds, which was a big deal in the mid 50's.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

Along the lines of Jim Thorpe? Perhaps the greatest alltime athlete to this day?

 

[CTOkie]

And Russell played when NBA basketball was watchable.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

And Russell played when NBA basketball was watchable.

Yeah, then David growed the brand.

 

[JConXtsy]

Russell was great, RIP.

Oscar Robertson would like to speak with you about your rankings, Plaino.

 

[iasooner2000]

MJ says “hold my beer”

 

[JConXtsy]

MJ says “hold my beer”

MJ is too easy. I was trying to go sans MJ.
Aside from the true king, check out Oscar Robertson stats and accomplishments. He was a phenom and a freak.
I think everyone loves Lebron and thinks he's the best at what he does ever, but if I'm not mistaken, Oscar Robertson still owns him in triple doubles. That could be old data and Lebron might have surpassed him by now, but still. Even if he's close, that was a damn impressive stat to hold for 40 years.

 

[JConXtsy]

Sorry, this is a Sooners football board. I got carried away with NBA talk. I can go on and on about basketball.

 

[iasooner2000]

My all time fave was Lew/Kareem, even in a karate movie

 

[JConXtsy]

My all time fave was Lew/Kareem, even in a karate movie

How about Kareem in Airplane! ? That scene is hilarious when the kid tells him that his dad thought he was lazy on defense, and then Kareem goes on the rant about running up and down the court every night, because he had to score and his team couldn't defend either. That's a freaking funny, historical scene.

 

[JConXtsy]

 

[iasooner2000]

Yep, forgot about Roger Roger

 

[JConXtsy]

Yep, forgot about Roger Roger

What's your vector, Viktor?

 

[JConXtsy]

Do we have clearance, Clarence?

 

[iasooner2000]

Wasn’t dunking the ball illegal in part of Lew’s college days ? I remember listening to him play late night as a kid on a tiny radio when I was supposed to be sleeping.
I found that the ncaa banned dunking from 67-76 partly to negate Lew’s effectiveness. (Like Boz said, “commies against athletes !”)

 

[Plainosooner]

Russell was great, RIP.

Oscar Robertson would like to speak with you about your rankings, Plaino.

How many titles did Oscar win? That would be one, late in his career, when he ended up playing with the man known then as Lew Alcindor. He never won a national title at UCinn. The Bearcats won two immediately after he left.

Russ won the national championship at San Francisco has last two seasons, won 54 straight games at a university that had never won big before or since. Then he went to the NBA, and won ELEVEN titles in 13 years, and won five MVP awards, going head to head with Oscar and Wilt. One of the two the Celtics didn't win, came when he got injured in the finals. The man had FIFTY rebounds in a game. He was the greatest defensive player in the NBA ever.

Did Oscar tell you it was Michael? It sure wasn't time. In farness, Oscar did have a higher free throw percentage than Bill Russell. But it is all about wining. If Russ needed to score, he would have. The consummate team player, he wanted to make his teammates look good.

 

[JConXtsy]

How many titles did Oscar win? That would be one, late in his career, when he ended up playing with the man known then as Lew Alcindor. He never won a national title at UCinn. The Bearcats won two immediately after he left.

Russ won the national championship at San Francisco has last two seasons, won 54 straight games at a university that had never won big before or since. Then he went to the NBA, and won ELEVEN titles in 13 years, and won five MVP awards, going head to head with Oscar and Wilt. One of the two the Celtics didn't win, came when he got injured in the finals. The man had FIFTY rebounds in a game. He was the greatest defensive player in the NBA ever.

Did Oscar tell you it was Michael? It sure wasn't time. In farness, Oscar did have a higher free throw percentage than Bill Russell. But it is all about wining. If Russ needed to score, he would have. The consummate team player, he wanted to make his teammates look good.

Damn, dude. I was being tongue in cheek, but you took it hard. Reading stats doesn't mean shit to me. I watch basketball. I watch a lot. I stick by my choice. By your standards, Dirk is average because he only won one championship. Nothing could be further from the truth. Don't go getting into basketball with me, no matter how much Internet you have.

 

[Plainosooner]

Damn, dude. I was being tongue in cheek, but you took it hard. Reading stats doesn't mean shit to me. I watch basketball. I watch a lot. I stick by my choice. By your standards, Dirk is average because he only won one championship. Nothing could be further from the truth. Don't go getting into basketball with me, no matter how much Internet you have.

I didn't say that Oscar wasn't a great player. He was. But better than Bill Russell? Not close. Hundreds of triple doubles in a long career is impressive. But nobody's record in basketball ever is better than Bill Russell.

 

[CTOkie]

This debate over the greatest basketball player is very subjective considering there are different eras with players of different levels of athleticism.
Russell was the winningest player ever for sure and the best player....in his time.
Russell, Chamberlain, Robertson, Jabbar, Jordan, Johnson, Bird, Olajuwan, Bryant, James, O'Neal were/are great players within their own times.
I have my own favorite athletes, and whether or not they're considered great, or the greatest isn't important to me.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

This debate over the greatest basketball player is very subjective considering there are different eras with players of different levels of athleticism.
Russell was the winningest player ever for sure and the best player....in his time.
Russell, Chamberlain, Robertson, Jabbar, Jordan, Johnson, Bird, Olajuwan, Bryant, James, O'Neal were/are great players within their own times.
I have my own favorite athletes, and whether or not they're considered great, or the greatest isn't important to me.

A difficult argument not worth arguing. Although I'm partial to the doctor.

 

[Plainosooner]

The NBA announced today that Bill Russell's number 6 will be permanently retired by the whole league. Sounds like the greatest player to me.

NBA, NBPA announce league will permanently retire No. 6 in honor of Bill Russell

Adam Silver said the move will ensure Bill Russell's career will always be recognized.

www.yahoo.com

 

[SoonerSA]

The NBA announced today that Bill Russell's number 6 will be permanently retired by the whole league. Sounds like the greatest player to me.

NBA, NBPA announce league will permanently retire No. 6 in honor of Bill Russell

Adam Silver said the move will ensure Bill Russell's career will always be recognized.

www.yahoo.com

As a Celtics fan Bill Russell was great and his jersey is flying from the rafters in the garden. But the entire league retiring his number sounds like wokeism to me. Will they retire Lebron's, or Magic's or Bird's when they pass?

 

[CTOkie]

When basketball was a different game and a better game, Russell was the best.

 

[Oklabama]

When basketball was a different game and a better game, Russell was the best.

Pretty much every generation has it’s “best ever” which is appropriate. Hard to compare Russell to Jordan, for example. How would Russell compete during Jordan’s era. Would he have been a great player? Most likely. But would he had been the most dominant player? Not likely. And so on, and so on.

 

[CTOkie]

Pretty much every generation has it’s “best ever” which is appropriate. Hard to compare Russell to Jordan, for example. How would Russell compete during Jordan’s era. Would he have been a great player? Most likely. But would he had been the most dominant player? Not likely. And so on, and so on.

Russell's greatest was both on and off the court and that trumps many "great" players.

 

[JConXtsy]

Russell played with guys like Bob Cousy and John Havlicek. Havlicek also won 8 championships, so by your metrics he was a better player than Robertson.

Robertson played for the Cincinnati Royals. His championship finally came when he had the chance to team up with another good player, a rookie by the name of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

And who said this about it being a team sport? When Oscar had a team, he had a championship.

www.https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1963761-bill-russell-has-great-response-to-being-left-off-lebron-james-mount-rushmore

 

[JConXtsy]

What Oscar Robertson will remember most about Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell

In an appearance on ESPN’s “NBA Today,” Robertson was interviewed by host Malika Andrews on the life of Bill Russell.

celticswire.usatoday.com

 

[Oklabama]

Russell's greatest was both on and off the court and that trumps many "great" players.

I’m only referring to on the court as a player. I don’t get into off the court as a coach or advocate.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

Bill was a great player no doubt it but face it 60s and early 70s celtics were a monopoly with red. Parity brought out very good players in the NBA evolution. Dr J, MJ? Bird, Magic? Could Russell play today?

 

[CTOkie]

I’m only referring to on the court as a player. I don’t get into off the court as a coach or advocate.

That's fine with me.
I judge an athlete as he/she carries himself/herself on and off the field.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

Folk heros are easily cannonized.

 

[Oklabama]

That's fine with me.
I judge an athlete as he/she carries himself/herself on and off the field.

I get it. I’m not too proud of Adrian Peterson but I sure would like to have him in our back field this year as he was his freshman and sophomore years.

 

[CTOkie]

I get it. I’m not too proud of Adrian Peterson but I sure would like to have him in our back field this year as he was his freshman and sophomore years.

I'm more a Samaja Perine/Joe Washington/Spencer Tillman/Prentice Gautt/Steve Owens guy. They represented themselves and OU well.

 

[Oklabama]

I'm more a Samaja Perine/Joe Washington/Spencer Tillman/Prentice Gautt/Steve Owens guy. They represented themselves and OU well.

I talking about playing abilities so as much I love Spencer Tillman, I would pick Peterson to play Saturday’s this year. I know Steve and I would tell him the same thing. BTW, Steve is a really good guy but Tinker is a lot more fun.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

Cale's firing is a huge loss.

 

[Oklabama]

Cale's firing is a huge loss.

And what does this have to do with Bill Russell’s thread? Lol. It’s okay I have done this before too.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

And what does this have to do with Bill Russell’s thread? Lol. It’s okay I have done this before too.

Has as much to with schlubin bill.

 

[Oklabama]

Has as much to with schlubin bill.

You have been so pumped since Riley left and Venables was hired. Now you seem to be in the dumpster. Gundy leaving is not the end of the world. Remember what Stoops said about no one person. Come on, Man. Boomer!