Netflix's Bill Russell: Legend digs into the awesome legacy of this trailblazing NBA icon, revealing one of sport's greatest careers for any fans not already familiar with this basketball legend's story. Bill Russell was not only one of the greatest basketball players of all time but also a dedicated servant of social justice and the fight against racism. Russell was the original activist athlete, using his platform to speak out against injustice and inspire others to do the same.
Russell's life has already been documented extremely well through his memoirs and various interviews throughout the years. However, Netflix's Bill Russell: Legend lays out his entire life in this two-episode documentary in a more complete way than ever before. Bill Russell: Legend is easily one of Netflix's best documentaries that any fan of athletic excellence or profound social activism can enjoy and learn from.
Bill Russell Invented The Modern Block
One of the most impressive parts of Bill Russell's basketball career is that he basically invented the modern shot-block, a development that completely changed defensive basketball. Before Russell, players were taught never to leave their feet on defense. Instead, coaches wanted players to stay low and stay in front of the player they were defending so they couldn't get around them to the basket. This strategy made it easy for players to shoot over their defender, but they were okay with that because it led to shots with a lower likelihood of going in.
That all changed when Bill Russell started his college basketball career at the University of San Francisco. During Bill Russell: Legend, which is quickly becoming one of the best weekend watches on Netflix, Russell describes blocking five straight shots from UC Berkley's All-American center. When his team called a timeout, Russell's coach told him he couldn't defend like that because good defenders never leave their feet. So Bill stopped jumping, and the opposing center made three straight shots. After that Russell decided he would play his way, so he went back to jump blocking, unknowingly changing the game forever.
Bill Russell's Life Began In California
While Bill Russell was born in Monroe, Louisiana and lived the first few years of his life in the rural segregated south, his life started in earnest when his parents moved the family to Oakland, California. Russell often described this experience as an immigration because California felt like an entirely different country to him. It was Russell's first experience in a non-segregated environment, and it opened his eyes in more ways than one. Bill Russell: Legend is one of the best sports documentaries ever because it can convey the impact of events like Bill moving to California.
Bill's time in California not only opened his eyes to the state of race in America but also introduced him to basketball. Russell describes his first time playing pick-up basketball with other kids in his neighborhood, saying he was not very good initially, but learned to love the game anyway. Russell also became an avid reader after his move to California when his mother introduced him to his first accessible library. It is there that Bill Russell became the thoughtful and educated man the world knows today.
Bill Russell Was Traded For The Ice Capades
Bill Russell was the star of the 1956 NBA Draft, but before the Boston Celtics could draft him they had to make an unorthodox trade. Similarly to The Last Dance, this documentary retells an iconic NBA career, which began when the Boston Celtics owner promised the owner of the Rochester Royals that if the Royals passed on Russell with the first pick of the draft, the Celtics would rent out several of the highly lucrative Ice Capades shows in Rochester. The Celtics then drafted Russell with the second pick via another trade with the St. Louis Hawks.
The Ice Capades were elaborate ice skating shows that brought in huge amounts of money at the time. They reportedly sold out shows in any city or town they went to. The Celtics were essentially paying the Royals not to draft Russell, but they were able to avoid actually spending anything. Considering the 11 NBA championships the Celtics won with Russell, this was probably one of the best trades ever.
Bill Russell Put the Celtics On The Map
Bill Russell, one of the most inspiring underdogs in sports, is why the Boston Celtics are one of the greatest dynasties in sports history. Before Russell, the Celtics had never won a championship. By the time Russell retired, he had more NBA championship rings than fingers. He was the catalyst of this dynasty, setting the tone on defense and leading the famous Boston fast break.
Russell made the Celtics into a powerhouse through his sheer force of will. He averaged over 20 rebounds and routinely blocked 15 shots per game. In addition, Russell made the paint a no-fly zone during his time with the Celtics, creating a defensive juggernaut that was as close to unstoppable as any team in sports history.
Bill Russell Could Visualize Plays In His Head
Another revelation about Bill Russell is that he could see a play on paper and visualize it in his head so well that he knew exactly how to do it immediately. Russell was an athlete that deserved a biopic because of this, if nothing else. His intelligence and understanding of the game are underrated aspects of his career. Any player who can execute a play perfectly without ever practicing it deserves recognition.
Russell describes trying to use this skill with art before he ever did it in basketball. He said he would look at a painting or drawing and try to recreate it with his mind's eye. He never had the same level of success in art, but when he applied this tactic to basketball, it made him one of the savviest players in the game's history. It allowed him to easily understand complex plays and execute them at a high level before others had even learned the concepts.
Bill Russell's True Legacy Is Off The Court
Despite having one of the most successful and storied careers in NBA history, Bill Russell's true legacy is his activism. Bill Russell: Legend is in part an American history documentary because of the incredible impact Russell had on the world outside of basketball. The story of Bill Russell's life cannot be told without focusing on what Russell did to make the world a better place.
Russell used his platform to speak out against racial injustice as often as possible. He marched on Washington with Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., started integrated basketball camps for kids, and organized grassroots marches and protests. He had a platform that most black people could not reach then, and he used it to make a difference despite the danger to his life. Bill Russell: Legacy tells the story of a hero, not just a basketball player. Russell's legacy will endure indefinitely as a source of inspiration for athletes and activists.