cincibuck
You kids stay off my lawn!
I took coach Fred Taylor's class on basketball. One of his lectures on defense began with, "There's only one team in the NBA that blocks out, and that's the team that plays on the crazy floor and has all those banners hanging from the rafters." We knew instantly that he was referring to the Boston Gardens' parquet floor and the Celtics.
Taylor went on to explain that blocking out - keeping the area around the basket free of offensive players - was central to team defense and that team defense was central to winning championships.
Russell was the key to making that defense work. Not the tallest of the centers who dominated the game in the 50s and 60s, Russell made up for his height through positioning, the timing of his jumps, and being relentless in blocking out his taller rivals and getting the rebounds. On offense, Russell broke through the defense to grab offensive rebounds and either scored or passed the ball out to the perimeter players, giving his team a second or third chance to score in a single possession.
What a player. What a team. And how fun to remember how Bill Russell played the game. RIP.
nytimes.com
Bill Russell, Who Transformed Pro Basketball, Dies at 88
A Hall of Famer who led the Celtics to 11 championships, he was “the single most devastati
Taylor went on to explain that blocking out - keeping the area around the basket free of offensive players - was central to team defense and that team defense was central to winning championships.
Russell was the key to making that defense work. Not the tallest of the centers who dominated the game in the 50s and 60s, Russell made up for his height through positioning, the timing of his jumps, and being relentless in blocking out his taller rivals and getting the rebounds. On offense, Russell broke through the defense to grab offensive rebounds and either scored or passed the ball out to the perimeter players, giving his team a second or third chance to score in a single possession.
What a player. What a team. And how fun to remember how Bill Russell played the game. RIP.
nytimes.com
Bill Russell, Who Transformed Pro Basketball, Dies at 88
A Hall of Famer who led the Celtics to 11 championships, he was “the single most devastati
