Bill Russell, King of the Court

This is Love

Vox Media Podcast Network

Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.8 • 9.4K Ratings

🗓️ 8 February 2023

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When Bill Russell joined the NBA in the 1950s, he was the only Black player on the Celtics. He went on to win 11 championships, more than any player in basketball history. When President Barack Obama awarded him the Medal of Freedom in 2011, he said: “Bill Russell stood up for the rights and dignity of all men.” Today, former NBA player Spencer Haywood remembers his coach and friend. Say hello on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Follow the show and review us on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2BmMZr5 We also make Criminal and Phoebe Reads a Mystery. Artwork by Julienne Alexander. Check out our online shop. Episode transcripts are posted on our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for this show comes from Krakan.
0:03.0	Krypto is like the financial system, but different.
0:07.0	It doesn't care where you come from, what you look like, your credit score,
0:11.0	or your outrageous food delivery habits.
0:13.7	crypto is finance for everyone everywhere all the time.
0:18.4	Krakhan, see what crypto can be.
0:21.3	Don't invest unless you're prepared to lose all the money you invest.
0:25.0	This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong.
0:32.4	This episode contains language that may not be suitable for everyone.
0:36.0	Please use discretion.
0:40.0	In the 1956 NBA draft, the Boston Celtics coach read Ourback,
0:47.0	made a trade with the St. Louis Hawks.
0:50.0	It's now legendary.
0:52.0	Ourback gave up two of his Boston players,
0:56.0	one who'd been on the All-Star team six times,
0:59.0	for a rookie, just out of college.
1:02.0	He hadn't even played in a single game in the NBA yet. His name was Bill Russell.
1:08.0	Red Arback was waiting in the wing and said, oh God I can grab him right now and he
1:15.5	grabbed Bill Russell in the trade and brought him to Boston.
1:20.8	Bill Russell knew the coach was taking a chance on him. He later wrote in his memoir,
1:26.0	Not everyone shared Red Ourback's opinion of my basketball skills. Some Boston writers said I was too skinny, couldn't shoot, and didn't have the size or stamina
1:36.4	to exist in the rough and tumble NBA.
	...

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