Bill Russell Quotes & Trivia

Quotes

Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.

Durability is part of what makes a great athlete.

Most people have a harder time letting themselves love than finding someone to love them.

The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot.

This monument is going to be built as a symbol.

What's more important than who's going to be the first black manager is who's going to be the first black sports editor of the New York Times.

Trivia

Bill: I think that David Stern is probably the greatest commissioner that any sport has ever had in the history of this country.

Bill: What I think Columbia does is they just play real hard. I think that's what really helps their style.

Bill: We couldn't sustain it. And they got a lot of kids that can shoot. We just couldn't close out well enough.

Bill: I had signed a letter of intent to go to a college near by home in Pittsburg, Kan., on a basketball scholarship, but Monty and scout John Keenan convinced me to sign with the Dodgers. It was the right move, for sure.

Bill: The morale and the camaraderie that we had for one another earlier in the year is starting to come under duress because of all the losses. Some of the guys are feeling the pressure now from the last year when they were not successful.

Bill: If it's proven in a court of law she was wronged, she can sue for millions because this is defamation of character.

Bill: The last five or six days, I've been running. The last two days, I've been running pretty hard. Everybody's got to be someplace.

Bill: What's more important than who's going to be the first black manager is who's going to be the first black sports editor of the New York Times.

Bill was elected to Naismith Basketball Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.

Bill is a five-time NBA MVP.

Bill's jersey number is 6.

Bill's height is 6'10".

Bill was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1956 NBA Draft, 3rd overall.

Bill went to high school at McClymonds in Oakland, California.

Bill only played varsity basketball in his senior year at McClymonds High School.

Bill is left-handed.

Bill was offered a place in the legendary Harlem Globetrotters after College but declined the offer.

Bill only had two teams that prevented him to win an NBA championship, the 1958 St. Louis Hawks and 1967 Philadelphia 76ers.