Aight. Here’s my favorite 2 stories about Bill Russell.
Both stories reveal how much of a humble human being he is. And one blows my mind because it dismantles what we think about the evolution of sports.
A thread:
The first is, that there is an assumption that today’s athletes are faster, stronger, etc. which is is based on ZERO evidence.
For instance, Wilt Chamberlain benched 465 lbs at 59 years old. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he benched 500 lbs on the set of Conan the Destroyer
Most basketball experts say Wilt has the highest vertical leap in NBA history. A few others argue that Michael Jordan did.
I think they’re both wrong.
Why?
Well let me tell you a story:
In 1956 Bill Russell was selected for the US Olympic basketball team
During this time, pros weren’t allowed in the Olympics, so the International Olympic Committee tried to say that he was ineligible since he had already signed with the Celtics, even though he hadn’t played yet
Luckily, Russell prevailed and led the team to the gold medal as the captain.
But if they would have stopped Russell from playing for the US basketball team, he would have STILL been in the Olympics.
How?
Because Bill Russell was one of the greatest high jumpers I. The world.