LM1073 Bill Russell
Laughter Matters
English - November 22, 2022 08:00 - 59 seconds - 917 KB - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsCareers Business Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
LM1073 Bill Russell
LM, Episode 1073, 11/22/22, Bill Russell
The great Boston Celtic Bill Russell passed away this year. I heard an interview with him recently. He said every Thanksgiving the Celtics played in Philadelphia against Wilt Chamberlain. They were rivals but also friends. Russell said he would meet Wilt at Chamberlain’s mom’s house for Thanksgiving dinner, take a nap, then they’d go to the game together. What a great examples of competitors respecting each other.
During college Bill Russell was playing in Oklahoma City. Fans threw coins at him like he was in a circus. Russell picked up the change, handed it to his coach, saying, “Please hold this for me.” Then he took his anger out on the opponent.
The interview closed with a question wondering if Russell could still jump. Bill replied he jumps for joy every day. Sports writer, Frank Deford, commented on Russell’s uproarious laugh and I could hear it in the interview. In spite of being a black man in America, Bill Russell found joy and he never forgot laughter matters.