BOISE, Idaho — THIS DAY IN SPORTS…May 2, 1968:
Bill Russell celebrates his second season doubling as a player-coach with an NBA championship, as the Boston Celtics defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, four games to two, with a 124-109 victory in Game 6. It was the Celtics’ 10th title in 12 years — they’d win another under Russell’s guidance the following year in the final season of his playing career. It was also the first time the NBA Finals had lasted into May. Ah, to turn back the hands of time.
The legendary Red Auerbach had retired after an eighth straight championship with Boston in 1966. He tried to hand-pick his successor, and Russell was down his list. Auerbach first tried Frank Ramsay, then Bob Cousy, then Tommy Heinsohn. Heinsohn didn’t want to coach the highly opinionated Russell, but he suggested the perennial NBA All-Star as a player-coach. Russell accepted the job, becoming the first Black head coach in league history.
Russell was successful in both roles throughout his stint as player-coach, as the Celtics went 162-83 during those three seasons with the two titles. There have been 39 player-coaches in NBA history, but none since Dave Cowens with the Celtics in 1978-79. The only other one to win an NBA title was a guy named Buddy Jeannette with the Baltimore Bullets in 1947-48.
Russell returned to coaching with the Seattle Supersonics in 1973 and led the team for four seasons. He guided the Sonics to their first playoff appearance in franchise history, but the defensive mindset he tried to instill in Seattle never really took root, and he left with a 162-166 record. Russell gave coaching another try in 1987-88 with the Sacramento Kings, but it lasted less than a season, as the Kings went 17-41. He’ll always be remembered as a player — one of the greatest ever in the sport. The NBA Finals MVP Award has been called the Bill Russell award since 1999. He passed away nine months ago.
The Northwest saw a renowned player-coach in the mid-1970s, as Lenny Wilkens served the dual role with the Sonics from 1969-72 and the Portland Trail Blazers in 1974-75. Wilkens won the Northwest’s last NBA title back with the Sonics as a full-time coach in 1978-79. He’s in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
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