Bill Russell Biography

William Felton Russell played center for the Boston Celtics in the NBA from 1956 to 1969. He was a central figure in a Celtics dynasty that secured 12 NBA championships, winning 11 during his career. With Russell as starting center and defensive leader, the Celtics captured their first NBA title in 1957 and achieved eight straight championships from 1959 to 1966. He earned five NBA Most Valuable Player awards and was selected as an NBA All-Star 12 times. Russell served as head coach and general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics between 1973 and 1977. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a second time in 2021 for his coaching achievements.