Bill Russell was the greatest winner in American sports history—but his rival was close. “Thisclose.” The only other claimant would be Yogi Berra, but Berra had to put some years in as a coach to be seen as the all-time American team sports champion.

Berra played on 14 pennant-winning clubs with 10 of those Yankees teams winning the World Series. Berra also guided the Yankees and the Mets for another two pennants and just missed winning two world championships, losing in 1964 and in 1973 in dramatic seventh games against the St. Louis Cardinals and Oakland Athletics respectively.

Yogi wasn’t done as he was part of the coaching staff of the 1969 Miracle Mets under the leadership of newly enshrined Hall of Fame manager/player Gil Hodges and, after being fired by the Mets during the 1974 season, he found his way back to the Bronx and brought his knowledge, experience and love of baseball as bench coach to Billy Martin and Bob Lemon as the Yankees won four more pennants and two championships from 1976-1981.

In all, Berra was a part of 13 World Series championships and a hand in a plethora of pennants, all in the MLB. But this post isn’t about Berra; it’s about Bill Russell, who passed away on Sunday.

Image: Bill Russell. Public domain.

Russell, in contrast to Berra, was not just a parochial (high school) or national champ but an international winner as well.

Many fans recall that, when Russell the Boston Celtics drafted him from the University of San Francisco, he had guided the Dons to consecutive NCAA titles winning with only one loss to UCLA that prevented the Dons from having back-to-back unbeaten championships seasons.

To obtain this all-America center, the Celtics had to make some draft-day deals, promises, and assurances with a few other teams. Still, Red Auerbach, arguably the greatest judge of talent in the early years of the NBA, signed his man.

Add in Tommy Heinsohn and K.C. Jones, Russell’s USF teammate, and the Celtic Dynasty was born. From the 1956-57 season until the 1968-69 season, the Celtics won 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons. Bill Russell either dominated on the court, coached from the sidelines, or both, but always made mincemeat of the entire league.

Critics claim Russell was helped because Boston management him equally talented players—and there’s no question Boston had future hall of fame players such as  Heinsohn, Jones, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, and Bailey Howell. Nevertheless, it was Russell’s unselfish, team-oriented defensive play, hustle, and acumen that made the team an unbeatable unit.

Before NBA history could be written, Russell wanted a chance to play on the global stage and sacrificed quite a bit to participate in the 1956 Olympic Games at Melbourne which were played during the start of the NBA season. There was controversy when Olympic bureaucrats argued Russell was a pro, not an amateur, after being selected in the draft but Russell won...naturally.

His dream was being fulfilled:

Ever since I was a kid, there were social and physical icons that I always heard about. And you think of these things in awe. And when I got to the age where I qualified for The Olympics, I wanted to go,” Russell said. “Then, the honor of The Olympics was to compete. Not to win, but to compete. I really wanted that. If I hadn’t made that Olympic basketball team, I was going to participate in the high jump. I was ranked second in the country in the high jump, so either way, I was going to Melbourne. I wanted to be a part of that Olympic experience.

Along with KC Jones, Russell and his American teammates crushed the Olympic competition, winning all eight games and the Gold Medal by an average margin of 53 points and destroying the Soviet Union twice by almost identical scores (85-55 and 89-55).

Russell went on to greatness from there. Indeed, he won an NCAA title, an Olympic Gold medal, and the NBA championship in a little more than 12 months.

Russell was a pioneer of sorts. The first true great African American athlete to play in Boston who has still brought more titles to Boston than Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Bobby Orr, Tom Brady, and Roger Clemens combined. Throw in David Ortiz, and you’re still shy a couple.

Russell played with dignity and demonstrated respect for his teammates, opposing players, his coach, the franchise, and the league, as well as giving that to fans, even if that was not reciprocated. Sadly, in the early days, Russell faced prejudice from Boston fans who mistreated and disrespected America’s greatest winner of all time. Great man that he was, though, he rose above it.

R.I.P., Bill Russell.