{"id":1358910,"date":"2021-05-03T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-03T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1358910"},"modified":"2023-02-21T17:38:34","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T22:38:34","slug":"boston-celtics-bill-russell-broke-color-barrier-coaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/boston-celtics-bill-russell-broke-color-barrier-coaches\/","title":{"rendered":"Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Bill Russell Broke Sports Color Barrier for Coaches Almost 60 Years Ago"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bill Russell<\/a> won more NBA titles than any other player in history, taking home 11 rings in his 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics<\/a>. That fact is well-known. What isn't as\u00a0well-known is that Russell won the last two of those as a player-coach and broke a major barrier<\/a> in the process. With the Celtics<\/a>, Russell was the first Black coach in any of the major North American professional sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That it was the Celtics breaking the barrier isn\u2019t a surprise. During his tenure with the team, longtime coach and longer-time general manager Red Auerbach accomplished several racial firsts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bill Russell inherited a Boston Celtics dynasty<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Coach
General manager Red Auerbach and player-coach Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics in 1967. | Joe Dennehy\/The Boston Globe via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

RELATED: Did a Frustrated Jaylen Brown Take a Shot at Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time Russell took over as coach of the Boston Celtics, they were a historic power. Boston had gone to 10 consecutive NBA Finals \u2013 an entire decade \u2013 and had won eight straight titles. That is the longest such stretch in pro sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t offered the job because I am a Negro,\u201d Russell told The Undefeated<\/a> in 2017. \u201cI was offered it because Red figured I could do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In their first season under Russell, the Celtics fell short of continuing those record streaks. Despite 60 regular-season wins, Boston was no match for the dominant Philadelphia 76ers and Wilt Chamberlain. The Sixers won 68 games and beat the Celtics in the Eastern Division Finals en route to Chamberlain\u2019s first title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aging Celtics again finished eight games behind Philadelphia in 1967\u201368. But this time, Boston beat the 76ers in the Eastern Division Finals, winning three times on the road \u2013 including twice in the last three games. The Celtics overcame a 3\u20131 deficit in the process and beat the Los Angeles Lakers in six games for their ninth championship in 10 seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boston hardly looked like a title contender in 1968\u201369, though. The defending champs went just 14-16 over the last 30 games and entered the playoffs in the East\u2019s fourth spot (only four teams qualified in each division). The Celtics blew through the Chamberlain-less 76ers in five games to get back to the division finals, then handled the New York Knicks in six games to return to the Finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russell\u2019s last NBA Finals as a player or coach was against the Lakers \u2013 who had added Chamberlain. Boston won in seven games, and Russell retired as a player and resigned as coach at season\u2019s end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russell returned as part of a next wave<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/ufOo1THugaY\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

RELATED: The Boston Celtics Add Another ‘Worst Loss Ever' to Their Lengthy List<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russell\u2019s success with the Boston Celtics prompted the Seattle SuperSonics to hand the player-coaching duties to Lenny Wilkens<\/a>. Later in the 1969-70 season, Al Attles became interim coach for the San Francisco Warriors while still an active player. Attles wound up with the Warriors for 14 years and, in 1975, was the second Black coach to win a championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ray Scott made history in 1973-74 when he became the first Black bench boss named Coach of the Year in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons. Scott was named coach of the Pistons the previous season, becoming the first Black NBA coach to replace another (Earl Lloyd). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russell came back to coaching in 1973-74 with the SuperSonics, the same season former teammate K.C. Jones entered the NBA coaching ranks with the old Capital Bullets (now the Washington Wizards).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russell resigned after four seasons in Seattle and re-emerged in 1987 as head coach of the Sacramento Kings. He held the job for only 58 games before being reassigned as the team\u2019s general manager. Russell has been out of the NBA since December 1989.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The legacy of Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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