Living legend. Ground-breaker. American original.
On and off the basketball court, as both an athlete and a human being, Bill Russell defines the word champion. Sports Illustrated called him the greatest team player on the greatest team of all time, HBO Sports hailed him as the greatest winner of the 20th century, and former President Bill Clinton said simply: "We are a better nation for his honesty."
Russell is the ultimate winner with an unprecedented 18 championships in 21 years of basketball. His feats with the Boston Celtics are stamped in the record books: nine NBA championships as the Celtics captain between 1957 and 1967, including eight in a row, the longest streak of consecutive championships in U.S. sports history; plus two more championship as the teams player-coach, which he accomplished without an assistant, in 1968 and 1969. During the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award was renamed the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.
The heart and soul of the Celtics dynasty, as well as a five-time league MVP and 12-time All Star, he revolutionized basketball through his uncompromising defensive play, a style marked by ferocious athleticism, stunning analytic prowess and an indomitable will to win. He guided the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. He also captained the United States Olympic basketball team to the gold medal at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.
In 1967, Russell was named the Celtics' coach, a milestone that made him the first African-American coach not just in the NBA but in all major league sports.
The NBA and U.S. State Department tapped Russell to serve as a Global Ambassador of Basketball on visits to Africa, where he was the first NBA player to visit in 1959. For sharing his love of the game and zest for life, Bill received the NBA's first Civil Rights Award. Russell is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and in 2007, was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame. In February 2010 Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor from the U.S. government that any person can receive unless they serve in the military.
Russell has authored several best-selling books, including Second Wind with Pulitzer Prize winner Taylor Branch, Russell’s Rules, and most recently, Red and Me. He is a popular motivational speaker and has numerous corporate relationships, among them AT&T, Pfizer, and Reebok. He also sits on the Board of Directors of the National Mentoring Partnership.
Bill Russell, NBA legend and best-selling author, is available exclusively through IMG Speakers bureau for speaking engagements. Bill Russell is also available for corporate hospitality appearances, meet and greets, and much more. Please contact IMG Speakers at 212-774-6735 or speakers@imgworld.com for more information on booking Bill Russell.
About IMG Speakers
IMG Speakers, a division of IMG Worldwide, Inc., is a leading speakers bureau and celebrity talent agency representing today’s best motivational speakers. We secure celebrity talent for FORTUNE 500 companies, trade associations, healthcare organizations, corporate hospitality programs and special events. Our extensive client roster includes professional corporate speakers, head coaches, sports broadcasters, current and retired professional athletes, inspirational keynote speakers, award-winning chefs, business executives and television personalities.
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