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The Boston Celtics of the Bill Russell era were one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. During the thirteen years that Hall of Fame center Russell dominated the court, the Celtics won eleven world championships, including an unprecedented eight straight between 1959 and 1966. In the 1968-69 season, the aging and injury-riddled team finished in fourth place during the regular season, and sportswriters predicted an early defeat in the playoffs. Against all odds, player-coach Russell and his squad rallied to beat the heavily-favored Philadelphia '76ers and New York Knicks, and captured the championship crown in a dramatic upset of Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and the Los Angeles Lakers in the closing seconds of the final game of the series. The following summer, Russell stunned the sports world by announcing his retirement, ending his and the Celtics' celebrated reign.

In this vivid and lively account, Thomas J. Whalen chronicles Russell's memorable last season and the Celtics' dazzling triumph. Set against the backdrop of the tumultuous 1960s and Boston's own turbulent and bitter struggles with race, he tells the fascinating story of how an improbable championship team overcame poor health, indifferent fans, disruptive personnel changes, and internal morale problems. Whalen recounts how Russell transformed the game of basketball during his remarkable career and revisits the outspoken superstar's conflicted relationship with Boston. He also tells why the Celtics, the first team to break several NBA color lines, failed to attract a loyal following among the city's largely white sports fanatics and press corps. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

CELTICS RULE
THIS IS ABOUT THE FINAL YEAR OF THE GREAT DYNASTY OF THE BOSTON CELTICS FROM 1950'S THRU THE 1960'S. ALONG THE WAY THE AUTHOR TELLS A LITTLE ABOUT EACH PLAYER INCLUDING GM RED AUERBACH.ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS DISCUSSED ARE THE RACISM GOING AROUND NOT ONLY IN BOSTON BUT IN JUST ABOUT EVERY MAJOR CITY IN THE USA. I ALSO FOUND THE COVERAGE CONCERNING RUSSELL VS WILT VERY WELL WRITTEN AND TO ME THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF THIS VERY GOOD BOOK. IT CENTERS MOSTLY AROUND BILL RUSSELL, AS WE FOUND OUT THAT HE IS INDEED VERY HUMAN ALONG WITH BEING THE ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYER. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FOR ALL BASKETBALL AND ESPECIALLY CELTIC FANS. WELL WORTH READING.

A Team Appreciated More Now Than When They Played
I feel the book's strength is that you receive in-depth portraits of many of the star's who played for the Boston Celtics in addition to their announcer Johnny Most.In addition we are also provided with descriptions of Wilt Chamberlain and other NBA stars during this time period.Chamberlain, by the way, acquired his nickname "The Big Dipper" by having to often duck when entering through a doorway.However, the title suggests a concentration on the 1968-1969 season, and only the chapters on the playoffs at the end of the book provide us with this information.I enjoyed the book, but I found much of the same information in Bob Cousy's book and Red Auerbach's recent book.In addition, former St. Louis Hawks' superstar, Bob Pettit, the first man to score 20,000 points, had his name spelled incorrectly both times it appeared in the book and also in the index.If you enjoy the Celtics I'm quite sure you will enjoy the book, but I found it to be repetitious in what I found in other books.It is, indeed, unfortunate that this great Celtics team often played before a half empty Boston Garden before fans who really didn't appreciate what they had representing their city.

Recalling a very special time in Boston sports history
For those of us who were lucky enough to be around New England in the 1960's the incredible championship run of the Boston Celtics was a wonder to behold.Imagine winning 11 World Championships in 13 years!I really don't think many of us truly understood the magnitude of what was being accomplished. And needless to say, it's a pretty safe bet that there will never be anything like it again in professional sports.
"Dynasty's End" recalls the incredible accomplishments of Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek and the rest of the cast that completely dominated the sport for more than a decade.While the focus is ultimately on the Celtics improbable 1968-69 championship season author Thomas Whelan has done a nice job of filling us in on the history of this storied franchise.It is really quite stunning when you realize that for many years the Celtics were winning championship after championship on a shoestring budget and were rarely able to sell out the building. You begin to understand just how smart Red Auerbach really was.Whelan also recalls great fondness longtime Celtics radio announcer Johnny Most.He truly was one of a kind and really was an intregal part of the Boston Celtics story.
While Whalen gives us the lowdown on all of the significant Celtics players of the period he hones in on Hall of Famer Bill Russell.Here was a multi-talented player with an extremely complex personality who toward the end of his storied career would have the distinction of becoming player-coach of the Celts. Some of the stories and anecdotes about Russell are absolutely priceless.Whalen also profiles many of the Celtics key adversaries of the day including Elgin Baylor, Bill Bradley, Billy Cunningham and of course Bill Russell's arch-rival Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain.Suffice to say that Russell had his way with the 7'1" Chamberlain more often than not.
"Dynasty's End" is a well written book destined to be enjoyed by history buffs and basketball fans alike. It is a snapshot of a different era in the country as a whole and professional sports in particular.A worthwhile read!

REAL Basketball
In an era when the NBA is about individuals (Kobe, Shaq), reading a book about a true team is very refreshing. To a man, the players on the 1968-69 Boston Celtics talk about defense, rebounding, and meshing their abilities with those of their teammates. Not one of them is concerned about how many points he scored on a given night, only about whether the team won. It's also very interesting to read about an

This was the Celtics' most enduring triumph
As a native Bostonian, I can say that a book on the Celtics' most enduring triumph is more than welcome. Anyone who grew up in Boston in the 1950's and 1960's knew that the Celtics were just about at the end of their championship run. After Philadelphia ran the Celtics out of the 1967 playoffs in five games, it was clear that a power shift of major proportions had taken place between the two teams, with Boston on the "down" elevator. The 1968 title was, at the time,their most improbable, their defeat of the 76ers after trailing in the East Finals 3-1 an unprecedented achievement. Their 1969 title dwarfed the noble 1968 entry, and Thomas Whalen has submitted a welcome and long-overdue work on the subject. As an African-American, having attended regular-season and playoff games at the Boston Garden, I can say that Mr. Whalen, if anything, muted the issue of race in Boston. The Garden could be quite an unhospitable place for people of color, not only for spectators, but for visiting and Celtic players as well. Boston's entire history of race relations was prologue for the city's Ragnarok in the 1970's when the buses rolled into the "wrong" neighborhoods. Boston was a tense place after Martin Luther King's assassination, an event which figured largely in the early stages of the Celtics-76ers' playoff series between April 5-19, 1968. The 1968-69 Celtics seemed worn out, a Frank Sinatra opening the show for someone else. Mr. Whalen does a commendable job of taking the reader through the successive stages of the playoffs. I wish, though, that he had devoted more space to the Boston-New York Eastern Conference Final, especially the nerve-wracking sixth game. The Celtics' reward was to be an historic pairing with the "greatest team ever assembled": the mighty Los Angeles Lakers with Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West. How could L.A. lose? An entire chapter devoted to the great seventh game would have been the cherry topping on the sundae. The flaws in the book may be relatively few, but they are, unfortunately, glaring. On page 114, the author writes that the pass stolen by John Havlicek which elevated him to icon status on April 15, 1965 "was intended for [Wilt] Chamberlain." That's a major error of fact. The Celtics were leading the Philadelphia 76ers 110-109 with just four seconds showing on the clock. Hal Greer's pass was intended for Chet Walker. Chamberlain was posted along the baseline, guarded by Bill Russell. Philly had basically four options on the play, including a return pass from Walker to Chamberlain for an easy, series-clinching dunk. Mr. Whalen also writes that the Celtics' late-season 108-73 humiliation to the Lakers occurred at the L.A. Forum; wrong: it was at Boston Garden, where the 14,171 who showed up jeered the Green mercilessly. The mis-spellings of names [Bob Pettit and Dave Gavitt are two] should never occur in a major work; it's the kind of carelessness which forces the casual [or dedicated] reader to wonder if the author is as conversant with his subject as the book's jacket implies. Another drawback is the overwhelming use of footnotes. They are the scholar's tool, but forcing the reader to keep two places in the book, constantly jumping from the text to the source and back again, severely hampers one's reading enjoyment. After more than 100 pages, I simply gave it up and stuck to the text. I also found the writing derivative, lapsing into the "sportspeak" of the 1950's and 1960's magazines, like Sport and Sports Illustrated. It is probably unfair to compare Mr. Whalen, an academic, with David Halberstam, a professional historian, who, in my opinion, has written the two-finest books on pro basketball: "The Breaks of the Game," and "Playing For Keeps." In the latter, Mr. Halberstam crafted a splendid account of the Chicago Bulls' final NBA title without the benefit of a promised interview with Michael Jordan. Mr. Whelan interviewed only one-third of the 12-man Celtic roster; why not the others, or, at the very least Russell, Sam Jones, and Havlicek, plus Red Auerbach?For those who remember that grand spring of 1969, however, the book is more than a worthwhile read, and for the millions of Celtic "fans" who weren't aware of the team before Larry Bird hit town in the fall of 1979, this book can serve as a gazetteer about the NBA's whistle-stops in its early manifestation; an on-point but far-too-brief analysis of an unhappy city and its tortured history of race relations; and a documentary about American sport's most majestic team as it stared down its Gotterdammerung in an epic struggle in a seventh game far, far from the Boston Garden, on May 5, 1969. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 840 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and textual cross-references to related essays. ... Read more

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : James Naismith, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Bob Cousy, Wilt Chamberlain, Dražen Petrović, Mike Krzyzewski, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Adrian Dantley, Pete Maravich, Magic Johnson, John Wooden, Pat Summitt, Clyde Drexler, Nancy Lieberman, Phil Jackson, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Larry Brown, Krešimir Ćosić, Julius Erving, Pat Riley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Connie Hawkins, Dominique Wilkins, Aleksandr Gomelski, John Stockton, Calvin Murphy, Larry Bird, Harlem Globetrotters, Jerry Colangelo, Dino Meneghin, Dražen Dalipagić, Oscar Robertson, Ouliana Semionova, Dave Bing, Bill Walton, Tom Heinsohn, William Davidson, Nate Archibald, Jerry West, Hortência Marcari, Ann Meyers, Clyde Lovellette, Kevin Mchale, Cliff Hagan, James Worthy, Frank Ramsey, Billy Cunningham, Henry Iba, Elgin Baylor, Dan Issel, George Mikan, Nate Thurmond, Jack Ramsay, Moses Malone, Rick Barry, Lenny Wilkens, Dave Debusschere, Bob Lanier, Aleksandar Nikolić, Wayne Embry, Bob Davies, Walter Kennedy, Bob Mcadoo, Renato William Jones, George Gervin, Red Holzman, George Yardley, Walt Frazier, Anne Donovan, Tom Gola, John Thompson, Jerry Sloan, Wes Unseld, Red Auerbach, Earl Lloyd, Pedro Ferrándiz, K.c. Jones, Elvin Hayes, Maurice Stokes, Robert Parish, Earl Monroe, Walt Bellamy, Alex English, Joe Fulks, Walter Brown, Borislav Stanković, Vern Mikkelsen, Jim Pollard, Les Harrison, Slater Martin, Bill Sharman, New York Celtics, Utep Miners, Jack Twyman, Ed Macauley, Chuck Daly, Bill Bradley, Andy Phillip, Neil Johnston, Bailey Howell, Buffalo Germans, Antonio Díaz-Miguel, Dick Mcguire, Bob Pettit, Dave Cowens, Bobby Wanzer, Lynette Woodard, Van Chancellor, Al Cervi, Willis Reed, C. Vivian Stringer, Dolph Schayes, Bobby Knight, Dean Smit...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

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Brief biographies of three prominent basketball stars renowned for their skill and height. ... Read more

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Weekly periodical - COVER: William Shatner of "Star Trek" - FEATURE: Annual Fall TV Preview. ... Read more

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Biography of an outstanding athlete, who gained fame as a basketball player with the Boston Celtics. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 2511 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

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Chapters: Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Paul Westphal, Rick Adelman, Reggie Theus, Eric Musselman, Eddie Jordan, Dick Motta, Jerry Reynolds. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 81. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star, Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens, Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA championships (1955, 1956). He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team. Russell is widely considered one of the best players in NBA history. Listed as between 6'9" (2.06 m) and 6'10" (2.08 m), Russell's shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' success. He also inspired his teammates to elevate their own defensive play. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities. He led the NBA in rebounds four times and tallied 21,620 total rebounds in his career. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed more than fifty rebounds in a game. Though never the focal point of the Celtics' offense, Russell also scored 14,522 career points and provided effective passing. Playing in the wake of pioneers like Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Ray Felix, Russell was the first ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=412214 ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Bill Russell, Lenny Wilkens, Paul Westphal, George Karl, Nate Mcmillan, Bob Hill, Bob Weiss. Excerpt:Bill Russell item Career stats (NBA) item Points : 14,522 item Rebounds : 21,620 item Assists : 4,100 item Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com item Career highlights and awards item item Basketball Hall of Fame as player item Coaching item Olympic medal record William Felton " Bill " Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star , Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of the National Hockey League 's Montreal Canadiens , Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA championships (1955, 1956). He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team . Russell is widely considered one of the best players in NBA history. Listed as between 6'9" (2.06 m) and 6'10" (2.08 m), Russell's shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' success. He also inspired his teammates to elevate their own defensive play. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities. He led the NBA in rebounds four times and tallied 21,620 total rebounds in his career. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain ) to have grabbed more than fifty rebounds in a game. Though never the focal point of the Celtics' offense , Russell... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The man (named Bill Russell)
The book does give an insight into Russell's career (up to the point the book was written), which I enjoyed.

But I already knew about his basketball career.I wanted to know more about the man named Bill Russell.The book helped me "get to know" (a little better) a man.His name is Bill Russell.

Here is a public figure that actually admits that his views have changed over the years and that they will continue to change.(Take note, politicians.)Russell is, in this book, a man struggling with racist America.(As a white man, I simply cannot conceive of what Russell went through.)The book also portrays Russell as a private man.It is written with humor, and Russell isn't afraid to laugh at himself.But it cannot be overlooked or missed that Russell, at least when he wrote this book, felt the scars of racism.

Bill is wrong on one thing.He says, "I would never become a super star."History has proved that he was a super star.

I wish the book had been longer.I believe he has a new book coming out soon.It will be interesting to see how he has changed since this book was written.

Good But Outdated
I got this one because Bill Walton said it influenced him so much as a kid.I enjoyed reading it, but it wasn't as focused on the game as I expected.It is just as much concerned with how blacks were perceived at the time, and how Bill Russell dealt with that (and it IS valuable to get an inside period-perspective on what racism was like in the 60's, since history seems to be continually rewritten by TV and Hollywood).

But some of the 'hip' language of the time dominates Russell's style, and was a bit distracting - a good lesson for would-be writers of the pitfalls of popular parlance.

In the end, I only got a few of the nuggets of basketball wisdom I was looking for.

A Great Sports Autobiography, About More than Basketball
Bill Russell once made a point of telling Michael Jordan's father thanMichael was a better person than he was a basketball player.I don't knowif anybody ever got around to saying that to Bill Russell's father but theysure should have.The two books Russell authored about his life and careerare as good as anything you will find in this field.Russell is as astuteabout things off the court as he was when he revolutionized the game ofbasketball.This book might be out of print but if you can find it at yourproverbial local library, check it out read it because it is well worth aweekend.

You do not have to be a fan of the Celtics to enjoy this book,but certainly anyone who enjoys the game respects what Russellaccomplished.I do think you will end up being impressed more by Russell'soff-court stories, talking about what it was like to grow up, to discoverthat you were a basketball player and then know that you wanted to beconsidered much more than that.I particularly like Russell's emphasis onthe mental dimensions of the game, which implicitly attacks the stillperpetuated stereotype of the "natural athlete" that continues todimish the hard effort of many African-American sports stars (e.g., thinkof what they said about Willie Mays and recall George Will's stingingrebuke in Ken Burn's "Baseball" series).Russell is able to movefrom sports to politics to society with a keen eye and a subtle passionthat is quite eloquent.

To top things off, Russell's books are veryreadible.He has a wicked sense of humor and if you have ever heard hiscackeling laugh (catch his current Coors commerical where he repeats DanPatrick's punch line "and that was just in the first half" andlet that sound echo at appropriate moments when you read this book).Iparticularly like his story of the first time he realized he was lookingDOWN at the rim.

This is the Russell of old, before he lost interest inthe current version of the game and he went from being the best basketballanalyst around to something of an outright cynic.You might not like thattransformation, but you must agree he has the right to be that way.

BillRussell does not sign autographs.He would rather just shake your hand. If I got the chance to shake his hand I would tell him I never got to seehim play, but I read his books and they made me think.I hope he wouldappreciate the compliment. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from California History, published by Thomson Gale on September 22, 2007. The length of the article is 12692 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The house that Russell built: Bill Russell, the University of San Francisco, and the winning streak that changed college basketball.
Author: Aram Goudsouzian
Publication: California History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 84Issue: 4Page: 4(22)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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Kapitel: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Bill Russell, Dwight Howard, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'neal, David Robinson, Arvydas Sabonis, Aleksandr Belostennj, Larry Bird, Candace Parker, Delisha Milton-Jones, Oscar Robertson, Yolanda Griffith, Dražen Dalipagić, Sergei Alexandrowitsch Below, Charles Barkley, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Adrian Dantley, Steve Smith, John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Larry Brown, Diana Taurasi, Kevin Garnett, Sue Bird, Emanuel Ginóbili, Grant Hill, Teresa Edwards, Vin Baker, Valdemaras Chomičius, Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Anne Donovan, Wálter Herrmann, Gary Payton, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Juan Ignacio Sánchez, Luis Scola, Vince Carter, Jerry West, Patrick Ewing, Anfernee Hardaway, Hugo Sconochini, Deron Williams, Karl Malone, Michael Redd, Scottie Pippen, Carlos Delfino, Ray Allen, Alonzo Mourning, Carlos Boozer, Walter Davis, Suzie Mcconnell-Serio, Walt Bellamy, Krešimir Ćosić, K. C. Jones, Lisa Leslie, Rimas Kurtinaitis, Dawn Staley, Alexander Anatoljewitsch Wolkow, Katie Smith, Spencer Haywood, Chris Bosh, Kara Lawson, Teresa Weatherspoon, Bill Bradley, Fabricio Oberto, Andrés Nocioni, Antonio Mcdyess, Bobby Knight, Allan Houston, Rebecca Lobo, Tiit Sokk, Mitch Richmond, Sylvia Fowles, Clyde Drexler, Reggie Miller, Ruth Riley, Tamika Catchings, Swin Cash, Cappie Pondexter, Katie Feenstra, Tina Thompson, Uljana Semjonowa, Mirza Delibašić, Chris Mullin, Cynthia Cooper, Ruthie Bolton, Sheryl Swoopes, Cheryl Miller, Christian Laettner, Seimone Augustus, Jerry Lucas, Tatjana Nikolajewna Owetschkina, Alvin Robertson, Henry Iba, Bob Kurland, Frank Lubin, Don Barksdale, Chamique Holdsclaw. Aus Wikipedia. Nicht dargestellt. Auszug: Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963) is a former American professional basketball player, active businessman, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. His biography on the National Basketball Association (NBA) website ...http://booksllc.net/?l=de ... Read more

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Basketball's Best Major League Players, Nba Pictorial Review ... Read more

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'Pro Basketball: Its Superstars and History' contains a comprehensive record of the National Basketball Association from its birth to 1971. ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Paul Anthony Pierce (born October 13, 1977 in Oakland, California), nicknamed The Truth, is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He earned First Team All-America honors in his junior year at Kansas, and has been a starter every season since being selected by the Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft. He is an eight-time All-Star, four-time All-NBA team selection and also led Boston to an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002 and the 2008 championship. He was named the 2008 NBA Finals MVP in his first trip to the NBA Finals. ... Read more

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Chapters: Bill Russell, Rick Pitino, Dave Cowens, Tom Heinsohn, Jim O'brien (Basketball, Born 1952), M. L. Carr, Bill Fitch, Chris Ford. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 66. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: William Felton "Bill" Russell (born February 12, 1934) is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A five-time winner of the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and a twelve-time All-Star, Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during Russell's thirteen-year career. Along with Henri Richard of the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens, Russell holds the record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA championships (1955, 1956). He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team. Russell is widely considered one of the best players in NBA history. Listed as between 6'9" (2.06 m) and 6'10" (2.08 m), Russell's shot-blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for the Celtics' success. He also inspired his teammates to elevate their own defensive play. Russell was equally notable for his rebounding abilities. He led the NBA in rebounds four times and tallied 21,620 total rebounds in his career. He is one of just two NBA players (the other being prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain) to have grabbed more than fifty rebounds in a game. Though never the focal point of the Celtics' offense, Russell also scored 14,522 career points and provided effective passing. Playing in the wake of pioneers like Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Ray Felix, Russell was the first...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=412214 ... Read more

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The Party's Over -- But 48 Years of Magical Thinking Live On: Putting the Boston Celtics' 2009 Playoff Season in Perspective will delight any Boston sports fan. Written right after the Celtics' Game 7 loss to the Orlando Magic, the 1600-word essay draws on decades of Boston sports history to bring it all back down to the fundamental fact that we are the luckiest fans in the world. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from American Decades: Primary Sources, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 878 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.American Decades Primary Sources provides fresh insight into the decade's most important events, people, and issues. Entries representing a diversity of views that provide insight into the seminal issues, themes, movements and events from the decade. Also included are concise contextual information, notes about the author and further resources. American Decades Primary Sources includes chapters on the arts, medicine and health, media, education, world events, religion, government and politics, lifestyles and social trends, law and justice, religion, business and the economy, and sports. Included to provide unique perspectives and a wealth of understanding are first hand accounts that include oral histories, songs, speeches, advertisements, TV, play and movie scripts, letters, laws, legal decisions, newspaper articles, cartoonsand recipes. ... Read more