WEBVTT - Remembering Bill Russell

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<v Speaker 1>Before we begin, a reminder to please rate and review us.

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<v Speaker 1>It helps people find the show. Hey, I'm John Gonzalez,

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<v Speaker 1>host of Sports Illustrated Weekly. I recently appeared on s

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<v Speaker 1>I S podcast Open Floor with staffer Rohan nod Kearney,

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<v Speaker 1>where we discussed tampering in the NBA league expansion and

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<v Speaker 1>a host of other topics. We hope you'll go to

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<v Speaker 1>that feed and listen to the entire show. But here

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<v Speaker 1>we began that conversation by remembering legend Bill Russell, who

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<v Speaker 1>recently passed away at eighty eight. As a special bonus

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<v Speaker 1>episode of our show. Here's that part of Open Floor

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<v Speaker 1>where we remember and pay tribute to Russell, a man

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<v Speaker 1>who was an incredible basketball player, but whose legacy extended

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<v Speaker 1>well beyond the court, to his admirable and important work

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<v Speaker 1>as an activist fighting for social justice and civil rights.

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<v Speaker 1>We hope you'll enjoy the discussion from Sports Illustrated and

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<v Speaker 1>I Heart Radio. This is a special bonus crossover with

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<v Speaker 1>Open Floor about Bill Russell. May he rest in peace. Yeah. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>God's we have some you know, some sad news to

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<v Speaker 1>start the show today, obviously on Sunday. Uh, I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>there's really you can say Celtics legend, it's selling him short.

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<v Speaker 1>Bill Russell uh dying at age eight on Sunday, um

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<v Speaker 1>Man man oh man. It's ah, it's kind of just

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<v Speaker 1>hard to believe that someone like his, his life even existed,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, and there's been so many beautiful tributes. Are

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<v Speaker 1>colleague Chris Mannix writing a column today that his number

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<v Speaker 1>six should be retired across the league fully in support

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<v Speaker 1>of that. The thing that strikes me about Bill Russell

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<v Speaker 1>is that, you know, I joke on this podcast like

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<v Speaker 1>I don't care about any basketball that happened before blah

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<v Speaker 1>blah blah, mostly just a dig at the Celtics titles

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<v Speaker 1>that that Peanos always talking about. But in all seriousness,

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<v Speaker 1>I think, like the basketball, when you talk about Bill Russell,

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<v Speaker 1>the basketball really does come so far down the list,

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<v Speaker 1>even though he's one of the most accomplished athletes, uh

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<v Speaker 1>in the history of sports, especially team sports. But just uh,

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<v Speaker 1>the issues that he stood for, not only when he

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<v Speaker 1>was an athlete, I mean someone who stood with Colin

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<v Speaker 1>Kaepernick for example, these last few years, and just reading

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<v Speaker 1>the stories about the explicit racism that he dealt with.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not that these things never happened anymore, but the

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<v Speaker 1>degree to which they were happening to him, it's just

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<v Speaker 1>hard to believe that that It's just hard to believe

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<v Speaker 1>that it happens. Sometimes it's so far removed from ears

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<v Speaker 1>and eyes reality. For example. Uh, just truly an incredible person. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, you and I both on this program and elsewhere,

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<v Speaker 1>love to delight in making fun of the Boston Celtics.

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<v Speaker 1>But when Bill Russell, somebody of his stature passes, that goes,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, like the snarkiness goes out the window, and

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<v Speaker 1>like you can fully appreciate him and his life as

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<v Speaker 1>a person. And to be honest with you, like the

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<v Speaker 1>preponderance of my thoughts about Bill Russell passing have nothing

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<v Speaker 1>to do about basketball, right because he was an incredible

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<v Speaker 1>all time Hall of Famer and you know, obviously before

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<v Speaker 1>our error, but anybody who's a basketball fan is well

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<v Speaker 1>acquainted with the type of player that Bill Russell was,

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<v Speaker 1>how transformative he was. He won eleven championships, he was

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<v Speaker 1>a twelve time All Star and Olympic gold medalist. I

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't thinking about any of that. I was thinking about

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<v Speaker 1>the activism and the social justice and how he fought

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<v Speaker 1>for civil rights and was right in the thick of it.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, this is a guy who was born in

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<v Speaker 1>the Deep South in Louisiana, whose parents and family were

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<v Speaker 1>subject to deeply dehumanizing Jim Crow laws and that shaped

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<v Speaker 1>his existence, right, I mean throughout the entirety of his life.

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<v Speaker 1>This was a man who stood up and spoke out

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<v Speaker 1>for the things that he knew to be right against

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<v Speaker 1>uh laws and thought processes that he knew to be wrong.

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<v Speaker 1>And I just like have such deep respect abiding, uh

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<v Speaker 1>long living respect for somebody like that. Who you know.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's when it comes to professional athletes, there are we

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<v Speaker 1>we've seen it, right, I mean there they live among

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<v Speaker 1>us now, right, they live comfortable lives. Certainly during Bill

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<v Speaker 1>Russell's era they weren't compensated in the same way. But

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<v Speaker 1>for the whole of sports, existing athletes tend to live

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<v Speaker 1>more comfortable lives than the rest of society. So you

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<v Speaker 1>you frequently have people who don't speak out and don't

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<v Speaker 1>want to say anything about what's happening in the world.

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<v Speaker 1>Bill Russell was the opposite from the first to the last.

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<v Speaker 1>And like, I have against such deep respect for people

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<v Speaker 1>like that who, at potential expense to them say this

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<v Speaker 1>is what I think, this is what needs to change,

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<v Speaker 1>this is what I believe to be right and wrong.

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<v Speaker 1>And like all to his credit, he's a legend in

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<v Speaker 1>so many ways, and so so much of it doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>have anything to do with basketball, absolutely, and there's so

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<v Speaker 1>many ways to talk about him. And you know, one

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<v Speaker 1>thing that really strikes me is, you know, live obviously

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<v Speaker 1>in a very kind of like charged moment in society,

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<v Speaker 1>and realizing the ways in which the systemic racism that

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<v Speaker 1>he fought against, you know, those different ways in which

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<v Speaker 1>it's manifesting itself now right again, It's it's maybe not

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<v Speaker 1>as explicit as some of the things that he dealt with.

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<v Speaker 1>Doesn't mean it it's gone away entirely, but just to

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<v Speaker 1>think about again, and I don't want to. It's just

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<v Speaker 1>tough to think about the fact that there's gonna be

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<v Speaker 1>so many people who pay tribute to him today who

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<v Speaker 1>are going to criticize the next round of athletes who

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<v Speaker 1>take the similar stand that he did. And uh, it

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<v Speaker 1>just it goes back to his braveness and just how

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<v Speaker 1>cool he was. And I just think about, like how

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<v Speaker 1>all the times I was at an All Star weekend

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<v Speaker 1>or at an event that he was ad or it's

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<v Speaker 1>just so cool how much he was around the NBA.

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<v Speaker 1>You can tell, I don't. I can't think of a

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<v Speaker 1>single player who does not have just the utmost respect

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<v Speaker 1>for him and what he means to the game and

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<v Speaker 1>the influence that he still has on players. It's it's

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<v Speaker 1>really beautiful, and it's just he's such a larger than

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<v Speaker 1>life figure to me. I think I've told a story

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<v Speaker 1>on the podcast before I know it told it to

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<v Speaker 1>Pine at least. But I remember leaving Charlotte for All

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<v Speaker 1>Star Weekend once and ahead of me in the security

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<v Speaker 1>line at the airport was Bill Russell. I was just

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<v Speaker 1>so taken aback. I've never ever, ever, ever been that

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<v Speaker 1>star struck in my entire life. I was like, just

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<v Speaker 1>as like an American hero. I was like, why are

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<v Speaker 1>we even making him go through security like this is?

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<v Speaker 1>I was like, you know, I don't you don't want

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<v Speaker 1>to Like, I was like, do I shake his hand?

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<v Speaker 1>Do I say something? I don't want to bother this guy. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>it's just such a larger than life figure that. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>I know it sounds silly, but I sometimes I can't

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<v Speaker 1>believe he's real. I know, I keep saying that. But

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<v Speaker 1>when you see all the stories about, oh, when his

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<v Speaker 1>house was vandalized, when the Celtics would go on road trips,

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<v Speaker 1>or the fact that you know that that exhibition strike

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<v Speaker 1>that he led in Kentucky, It's like things like that

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<v Speaker 1>are just they're so far removed, um, kind of from

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<v Speaker 1>what we're dealing with today. It's it's crazy, man, So

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<v Speaker 1>a long time ago, I'm older than you, A long

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<v Speaker 1>time ago, and you look, it's it's all it's really

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<v Speaker 1>just lighting and special effects. But a long time ago,

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<v Speaker 1>when I was first coming up, I was a senior

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<v Speaker 1>writer for Boston Magazine and I had the great fortune

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<v Speaker 1>to speak with Bill Russell. You mentioned, you know, when

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<v Speaker 1>his house was vandalized, when the Celtics would go on

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<v Speaker 1>the road. That was something that a lot of the Celtics,

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of the black players had to deal with.

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<v Speaker 1>I talk to Casey Jones about it one time, and

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<v Speaker 1>I had the I had the great fortune of speaking

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<v Speaker 1>with Bill Russell just about life in Boston as a

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<v Speaker 1>black man, and like, he was so great about it

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<v Speaker 1>and so thoughtful, and he said, you know, I think

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<v Speaker 1>about myself first as a human being and as an

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<v Speaker 1>activist and as an athlete. Second, but the symbolism of

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<v Speaker 1>how he handled things in that city. I mean, like

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<v Speaker 1>all the all the accomplishments we talked about with him

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<v Speaker 1>in the Celtics, I think his greatest accomplishment and what

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<v Speaker 1>really meant so much, um not just to the black community,

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<v Speaker 1>but sports were at large. He was the first black

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<v Speaker 1>head coach of anyone of any of the four major

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<v Speaker 1>sports in America. And he did it in Boston. And

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<v Speaker 1>for people who don't really understand, Boston has a let's

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<v Speaker 1>call it fraught history with race relations that they were

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<v Speaker 1>famously the Boston Red Sox were famously the last team

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<v Speaker 1>to integrate in Major League Baseball. And then you have

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<v Speaker 1>Bill Russell, who's this transformative figure who despite the fact

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<v Speaker 1>that his house was vandalized, was still a beloved figure

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<v Speaker 1>in Boston and who loved Boston back right and um

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<v Speaker 1>didn't stop fighting for the things that he knew to

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<v Speaker 1>be right, didn't excuse the racism that was um prevalent

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<v Speaker 1>in Boston, the undertones of it, sometimes the overtones of it,

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<v Speaker 1>and yet was this unifying figure. And like the way

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<v Speaker 1>that he bridged that gap, I don't think I would

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<v Speaker 1>have had that grace. Right. I don't think that if

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<v Speaker 1>I was somebody who was in his position and came

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<v Speaker 1>home and found my house vandalized or heard slurs on

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<v Speaker 1>the street, that I could turn the other cheek and go, no,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I'm gonna keep fighting for these things. But

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<v Speaker 1>also I can see the good in people who aren't

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<v Speaker 1>like that. But that was Bill Russell. And like when

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<v Speaker 1>he was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama,

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<v Speaker 1>he said, I hope that this is an indication that

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<v Speaker 1>I led a good life. And man did he. That's

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<v Speaker 1>really well, said John, And and you nailed it. I mean, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>you and I are not gonna be able to unpack

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<v Speaker 1>kind of fully that era of American society and the

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<v Speaker 1>race relations in Boston. And and I think you bring

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<v Speaker 1>up a good point, like he did love the city,

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<v Speaker 1>and there are black people in Boston who loved him,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's there's so many layers to that situation and

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<v Speaker 1>it was so complicated, but you mentioned just the kind

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<v Speaker 1>of the you know, I would I also don't blame

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<v Speaker 1>the people who don't have grace, but just kind of

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<v Speaker 1>the integrity, which was he dealt with everything that came

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<v Speaker 1>his way in his life is. It's really beautiful. And

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<v Speaker 1>I do want to talk about him as a basketball

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<v Speaker 1>player for a second, only in since that. I just

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<v Speaker 1>love how much of a competitor he was um Like,

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<v Speaker 1>you you know, just even forget the championships and all

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<v Speaker 1>those things, Like we always hear these stories about you know,

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<v Speaker 1>Michael Jordan's or et cetera, these people who are kind

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<v Speaker 1>of these legendary competitors, and I think you can put

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<v Speaker 1>him in that category. I mean, there's that clip that

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<v Speaker 1>you know a lot of people have shared. I remember

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<v Speaker 1>watching it when it happened. But he's on stage like

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<v Speaker 1>the NBA Awards with all the other centers and he's

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<v Speaker 1>pointing at all of them. He's like, I would kick

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<v Speaker 1>your ass. Like that's awesome, you know, just that competitive

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<v Speaker 1>spirit that he had. And there's a clip that I

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<v Speaker 1>saw again, a lot of people have been posting this.

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<v Speaker 1>I think he's talking to Kobe Bryant in an All

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<v Speaker 1>Star game. He's like, I like to watch players. He's like,

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<v Speaker 1>the way I like to watch basketball is I want

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<v Speaker 1>to see what agenda players have when they're on the court,

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<v Speaker 1>and then what they're doing to try to fulfill that.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, paraphrasing, And I think that's just such an

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<v Speaker 1>insight into he wants to see people compete, right, that's

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<v Speaker 1>he wants to know what their agenda is. Is it

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<v Speaker 1>to win? Is it to compete? And again, when you

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<v Speaker 1>talk about his legacy as a basketball player, it goes

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<v Speaker 1>so much more than the rings he won, but his

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<v Speaker 1>approach to the game and you know, wanting to be

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<v Speaker 1>better than will um Man. They I just don't know

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<v Speaker 1>that we have a figure like that anymore, you know

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<v Speaker 1>what I mean. Yeah, they had some epic battles. For sure,

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<v Speaker 1>they pushed each other. I think they made each other better.

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<v Speaker 1>That competition, that level of effort that you're talking about

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<v Speaker 1>on the court, and again, for me, oh that's great,

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<v Speaker 1>but like what he did off the court like just

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<v Speaker 1>is everything for me. But that that level of effort

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<v Speaker 1>that he gave in his life, it had to be exhausting,

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<v Speaker 1>Like like think about how good he was as a

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<v Speaker 1>basketball player. That alone takes supreme drive, focus, determination. Um

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<v Speaker 1>just like like knowing that you have to do it

0:12:00.640 --> 0:12:04.200
<v Speaker 1>season in and season out, and then on top of

0:12:04.240 --> 0:12:06.680
<v Speaker 1>that off the court, you know, there's no rest for him.

0:12:06.840 --> 0:12:08.520
<v Speaker 1>There was never any rest for him up till he

0:12:08.559 --> 0:12:11.080
<v Speaker 1>was eighty eight. He was just still going. He was

0:12:11.120 --> 0:12:13.360
<v Speaker 1>just incredibly dynamic and dynamic. And I want to bring

0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:16.040
<v Speaker 1>it back to that Medal of Freedom thing too, because

0:12:16.040 --> 0:12:20.079
<v Speaker 1>he didn't he didn't ever like tune out. Right. He

0:12:20.120 --> 0:12:23.160
<v Speaker 1>posted a picture kneeling with that Medal of Freedom around

0:12:23.160 --> 0:12:25.559
<v Speaker 1>his neck in solidarity with the NFL players who have

0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:28.679
<v Speaker 1>been attacked and criticized by presid then President Trump, And

0:12:28.720 --> 0:12:30.720
<v Speaker 1>I'm like, this guy doesn't take any time off. He's

0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:34.880
<v Speaker 1>he's an octogenarian and he's like, oh, yeah, I'm not

0:12:35.000 --> 0:12:38.199
<v Speaker 1>gonna let this moment pass. He could, like, of all

0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:40.920
<v Speaker 1>the people on the planet who could afford to let

0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:43.360
<v Speaker 1>a pitch go by because of all the good will

0:12:43.720 --> 0:12:46.320
<v Speaker 1>and effort that they had accrued, right, all the equity

0:12:46.320 --> 0:12:48.640
<v Speaker 1>that they had put in, it would be Bill Russell.

0:12:48.720 --> 0:12:51.960
<v Speaker 1>And he's like, nah, not taking this moment off, Like,

0:12:52.240 --> 0:12:55.480
<v Speaker 1>that's Bill Russell. That's such a great point. Yeah, the

0:12:56.840 --> 0:12:58.679
<v Speaker 1>that it's such a good point. The effort, man, it

0:12:58.720 --> 0:13:01.080
<v Speaker 1>has to be exhausting, all the things that he dealt with.

0:13:01.160 --> 0:13:04.160
<v Speaker 1>And I'll just never know how someone is able to

0:13:04.240 --> 0:13:05.880
<v Speaker 1>lead a life like that. And you mentioned, yeah, kneeling

0:13:05.880 --> 0:13:11.000
<v Speaker 1>with the that metal like, that's truly truly iconic. People

0:13:11.120 --> 0:13:14.920
<v Speaker 1>use that phrase like freely now jokingly. Now, that's that's

0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:17.240
<v Speaker 1>truly iconic. And yeah, like you said, never let a

0:13:17.240 --> 0:13:20.480
<v Speaker 1>pitch go by taking that stand again when you when

0:13:20.520 --> 0:13:26.360
<v Speaker 1>people were being criticized by literally the president. Um again,

0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:30.800
<v Speaker 1>it's just integrity, That's what that is. That always being

0:13:30.840 --> 0:13:35.040
<v Speaker 1>on the right side of history. It's really remarkable. Um

0:13:35.360 --> 0:13:37.720
<v Speaker 1>Or do you think that he got his I mean,

0:13:37.760 --> 0:13:42.120
<v Speaker 1>because obviously you know he's being fedted today. Everybody's remembering him.

0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:43.920
<v Speaker 1>He is one of the grades of all time and

0:13:44.240 --> 0:13:45.720
<v Speaker 1>is remembered that way. But do you think that he

0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:51.120
<v Speaker 1>got his full Dude, like the people properly remember Bill

0:13:51.200 --> 0:13:54.360
<v Speaker 1>Russell and his legacy. Because in today's So, we have

0:13:54.480 --> 0:13:57.200
<v Speaker 1>an s I Now newsletter. It's written by Josh rosen Blad.

0:13:57.200 --> 0:13:59.560
<v Speaker 1>I highly recommend everybody subscribe to it. It's really good

0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:01.400
<v Speaker 1>every day. He's got some really fresh stuff in there.

0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:03.439
<v Speaker 1>But so he unearthed the story from Frank DeFord, a

0:14:03.520 --> 0:14:06.480
<v Speaker 1>legendary SI writer, and he has a quote in it

0:14:06.800 --> 0:14:10.600
<v Speaker 1>from Tommy Heinsen, who's also a Celtics legend, long time

0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:13.439
<v Speaker 1>Celtics collar play by play guy. Here's the quote. I

0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:14.680
<v Speaker 1>want to read it to you, and I think this

0:14:14.720 --> 0:14:17.200
<v Speaker 1>frames it out. And this doesn't even get into the

0:14:17.240 --> 0:14:21.160
<v Speaker 1>social justice, civil rights activism. This is just the basketball component.

0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:23.920
<v Speaker 1>Tommy Hansen quote. Look, all I know is the guy

0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:26.760
<v Speaker 1>won two n C Double A Championships, fifties something college

0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:29.160
<v Speaker 1>games in a row, the fifties six Olympics. Then he

0:14:29.200 --> 0:14:32.000
<v Speaker 1>came to Boston and won eleven championships in thirteen years,

0:14:32.280 --> 0:14:36.160
<v Speaker 1>and they named an effing tunnel after Ted Williams. Yeah,

0:14:36.480 --> 0:14:41.520
<v Speaker 1>I saw that. Excellent point. Yeah, Um, I think that

0:14:41.720 --> 0:14:47.000
<v Speaker 1>probably like contemporarily, I don't know that he necessarily got

0:14:47.040 --> 0:14:48.800
<v Speaker 1>in no respect. I do think later in his career,

0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:51.120
<v Speaker 1>like I think what the NBA did, like naming the

0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:54.440
<v Speaker 1>finals MVP Trophy after him, like a small but great gesture.

0:14:54.480 --> 0:14:57.000
<v Speaker 1>I loved seeing him at the finals every year. I

0:14:57.040 --> 0:14:59.160
<v Speaker 1>think they did a great job bringing him. Like I

0:14:59.160 --> 0:15:01.960
<v Speaker 1>said to All Star year, I do think that at

0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:05.960
<v Speaker 1>least within the NBA community the last at least as

0:15:06.000 --> 0:15:08.080
<v Speaker 1>long as I've been covering the NBA, there's been so

0:15:08.160 --> 0:15:09.720
<v Speaker 1>much respect for him, and you can see it with

0:15:09.760 --> 0:15:14.080
<v Speaker 1>the players. Um and again, I think his willingness to

0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:16.800
<v Speaker 1>kind of continue to take stands has really endeared him

0:15:16.840 --> 0:15:20.880
<v Speaker 1>to players as well. Uh that it's tough. I mean,

0:15:20.920 --> 0:15:24.240
<v Speaker 1>how do you kind of how do you properly pay

0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:26.320
<v Speaker 1>tribute to someone like him? Right? Like it would take

0:15:27.080 --> 0:15:30.040
<v Speaker 1>it would take so many lifetimes for most other people

0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:34.200
<v Speaker 1>to fit what he did in one that I don't

0:15:34.240 --> 0:15:37.680
<v Speaker 1>know how you could even like properly really pay tribute

0:15:37.680 --> 0:15:39.800
<v Speaker 1>to him. But I do think at the very least

0:15:39.880 --> 0:15:43.720
<v Speaker 1>like the respect and support I've seen from the NBA

0:15:43.720 --> 0:15:46.640
<v Speaker 1>community for him, at least since I've been covering the

0:15:46.720 --> 0:15:49.920
<v Speaker 1>league at least that I think is matched what he deserves.

0:15:49.960 --> 0:15:52.000
<v Speaker 1>But I'm with you, I mean, like, how do you

0:15:52.000 --> 0:15:54.680
<v Speaker 1>where do you stop? With him? Like? Truly a transformational

0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:59.440
<v Speaker 1>figure and a leader in so many different ways. What

0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:02.920
<v Speaker 1>a life? I mean, honestly what a life like? He?

0:16:03.560 --> 0:16:08.080
<v Speaker 1>Can I throw out one more thing? Please? He managed

0:16:08.120 --> 0:16:11.280
<v Speaker 1>to do something in addition to all of this other

0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:14.960
<v Speaker 1>stuff that I thought was impossible, which is making me

0:16:15.000 --> 0:16:18.280
<v Speaker 1>think fondly of a Boston Celtic, Like, right, I mean,

0:16:18.320 --> 0:16:21.320
<v Speaker 1>like the guy's just like he's just transformative and like

0:16:21.400 --> 0:16:25.280
<v Speaker 1>what a life lived. And the league, not just the league,

0:16:25.320 --> 0:16:27.440
<v Speaker 1>but the country. You called him an American hero. That's

0:16:27.480 --> 0:16:30.800
<v Speaker 1>exactly right. I mean during the civil rights movement when

0:16:30.840 --> 0:16:34.160
<v Speaker 1>he again he just didn't take a moment off. Uh,

0:16:34.200 --> 0:16:37.000
<v Speaker 1>and every moment after that. For him to stand up

0:16:37.040 --> 0:16:41.480
<v Speaker 1>for equality and civil rights is just Um. If that

0:16:41.640 --> 0:16:43.960
<v Speaker 1>is the defining legacy, and if he had done nothing else,

0:16:44.000 --> 0:16:45.720
<v Speaker 1>it would have been an incredible life, and he did

0:16:45.760 --> 0:16:48.400
<v Speaker 1>so much more. No, we're honestly the way we're just

0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:50.960
<v Speaker 1>we're lucky to have shared time with him. You know

0:16:51.000 --> 0:16:54.400
<v Speaker 1>what I mean is the way I look at it. Uh.

0:16:54.760 --> 0:16:56.320
<v Speaker 1>You know, we could talk about Bill russ all day.

0:16:56.320 --> 0:16:58.560
<v Speaker 1>There's many great tributes like please read that Frank to

0:16:58.680 --> 0:17:03.320
<v Speaker 1>Ford's story, read the Christmannick story. But whatever you can

0:17:03.520 --> 0:17:06.520
<v Speaker 1>read about Bill Russell his memoir are are good. Buddy.

0:17:06.560 --> 0:17:08.280
<v Speaker 1>Michael Pena, back when he was writing for g Q,

0:17:09.200 --> 0:17:13.240
<v Speaker 1>wrote a piece about Bill Russell's memoir which is harrowing

0:17:13.240 --> 0:17:16.880
<v Speaker 1>in moments, but just so informational and educational sony ways.

0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:20.080
<v Speaker 1>Highly recommend people. I believe it's called second Win. Um,

0:17:20.280 --> 0:17:24.560
<v Speaker 1>highly recommend people read that. Um. Yeah, man, like you said,

0:17:24.600 --> 0:17:26.840
<v Speaker 1>what a life. I think that's the best way to

0:17:26.880 --> 0:17:33.320
<v Speaker 1>put it. Thanks for listening, and a reminder to please

0:17:33.400 --> 0:17:36.159
<v Speaker 1>rate and review us wherever you listen. It helps people

0:17:36.200 --> 0:17:39.560
<v Speaker 1>find us. Sports Illustrated Weekly is a production of Sports

0:17:39.600 --> 0:17:42.879
<v Speaker 1>Illustrated and I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my

0:17:43.000 --> 0:17:46.760
<v Speaker 1>Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

0:17:46.880 --> 0:17:49.800
<v Speaker 1>or wherever you get your favorite shows. And for more

0:17:49.840 --> 0:17:53.400
<v Speaker 1>of Sports Illustrated It's best stories and podcasts, visit SI

0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:57.040
<v Speaker 1>dot com. This episode of Sports Illustrated Weekly was produced

0:17:57.040 --> 0:18:00.480
<v Speaker 1>by Jordan Rizzieri, Jessica you Ramoski, and I Lee, who

0:18:00.560 --> 0:18:04.400
<v Speaker 1>was also our sound engineer. Our senior producers are Dan

0:18:04.440 --> 0:18:08.439
<v Speaker 1>Bloom and Harry sword Out. Our executive producers are Scott

0:18:08.440 --> 0:18:12.280
<v Speaker 1>Brody and me John Gonzalez. Our theme song is by

0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:15.680
<v Speaker 1>Nolan Schneider. Please be on the lookout for new episodes

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