The Don of Dons

By Larry Bisagni

Great players are remembered for how they played the game.

Icons are remembered in how they changed it.

I never met Bill Russell. I always wanted to, and hoped that he would appear at a San Francisco Dons home game, where I could shake his hand and say hello.

For well over a quarter of a century, the Jesuit university in the heart of the City By The Bay had a program that had one of the most prestigious basketball programs. In 1982, our beloved Alma Mater invoked a self-imposed death penalty due to a laundry list of NCAA infractions. You name it, the boosters sadly drafted the blueprint and wrote the book on how to do it. It hasn’t been remotely the same since the program was reinstated in 1985, so it’s tough to explain that as a private school, this program was once the Duke of the West Coast.

Forget Gonzaga – what have they won? The Dons remain the only West Coast Conference member to win it all in March.

All of this started with a gangly young man from McClymonds High School across the water in Oakland who was actually a track star. The thought was that perhaps in time, he might develop enough skill to contribute as a basketball player. You see, Bill Russell ran the 400 and also participated in the high jump. Anyone who thinks he didn’t have the athleticism to play in today‘s game is patently absurd. 40 years before Vince Carter leaped over an opponent, Bill did the same thing – in a pair of canvas Chuck Taylors.

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Bill Russell didn’t just contribute. Bill Russell set bars so high that I don’t know they will ever be breathed upon, let alone touched.

Bill Russell developed into the winningest basketball player in history, and it’s indisputable. Bill Walton and Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Abdul Jabbar) went undefeated at UCLA?

So did Bill Russell.

LeBron has a gold medal?

So does Bill Russell.

Michael Jordan has six NBA rings?

Bill Russell has ELEVEN.

Nobody ever won at virtually every level of basketball the way Number 6 did.

Were there better scorers than Bill Russell? Absolutely. His best output on offense ever was 37 points.

Better rebounders and defenders? It gets tougher here, but a case could be made for a few greats.

A greater winner? Russell’s achievements and records speak for themselves. Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan COMBINED only tie Bill Russell in terms of NCAA Championships and NBA titles.

What really set Bill Russell apart from so many was his fearlessness on and off the court. As an activist, Russell always developed his positions through research and analysis. He wasn’t just “smart for an athlete;” he was smart, period.

Of all of his quotes (and there are many, he was a very intelligent, thought-provoking man who loved to read), my favorite is the following. Russell was once asked by fellow Hall of Famer Chris Webber who would he pick to start a team: Michael Jordan, Kareem, or himself.

“You pick Bill Russell for these reasons. He will never distort your defense or your offense. I played games in my peak where I got six shots. I could close out the whole front court. The way I play, my team wins.”