Bill Russell: A Biography

Greenwood Biographies

by Murry R. Nelson

As a student of life and basketball, as a basketball player and coach, as an African-American, a businessman, a lecturer, and a man, Bill Russell projects the same single image of a man committed to understanding, improvement, and teamwork in the constant pursuit of new and ever-greater heights. And as his 2 NCAA titles, his Olympic gold medal, and his 11 NBA championships clearly show, the heights towards which Bill Russell most often strove were athletic, and in these athletic contests he was rarely to be denied. As a coach―the first black coach in NBA history―and general manager in his later days, Russell still maintained this same ability to utilize all of the resources available in order to construct a winning entity, and it is because of this very ability that he was later able to captivate lecture audiences from behind a podium. Bill Russell remains a compelling subject for anyone interested in the constitution and development of a champion.

This book also includes a thorough bibliography of print and electronic sources to aid further research. A timeline plots the key events in Russell's life and career.

Genres: Sports

136 pages, Hardcover

First published June 30, 2005

Reviews

[Hans Ostrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, well researched, short biography of a smart, complicated man who led YET to two college basketball titles and the Boston Celtics to eleven. Also an Olympic gold medal. The first Black head coach in the NBA.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be interesting, but also boring. I greatly enjoyed the parts about him on the Celtics, and when he was in high school playing ball. I also probably would have enjoyed reading the part of him playing college ball, but sadly the book I had was missing that chapter for some reason. The parts about his chilled hood and learning about his family I found not to interesting, but it was necessary to information to be told. I think it should have gone into a little less detail about his relatives though. The part that I found very boring though was all of the other information not involving basketball like the segregation issues. I read the book to read about basketball being played by one of its finest players. Not to be taught about the issues between whites and blacks back then. That is for history class. All together though it was not to bad and I would have given it 3 1/2 stars, it wont let me.

[Troy Legette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read for me learning about his professional
career playing basketball for the Boston Celtics.
Very inspirational, I wish that I was able to play
basketball good enough to make to the NBA. But honestly
it is just as fun watching and reading about it as well.