1. People
    2.  › 
  2. Bill Russell
Bill Russell photo

Bill Russell Quotes

Total quotes: 9
“We learn to make a shell for ourselves when we are young and then spend the rest of our lives hoping for someone to reach inside and touch us. Just touch us—anything more than that would be too much for us to bear.”
— Bill Russell
Tagged: Youth, Life, Truth, Desire, Touch
“The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot.”
— Bill Russell
Tagged: idea, Basketball, strategy, Game
“The Celtic ‘system’ was designed to permit intelligent, winning players to endlessly use their own curiosity and creativity to accomplish results. That was why each of the players felt such an extraordinary commitment to the team. It was a living, everyday thing, a practice far more than a promise, it was their team.”
— Bill Russell
Tagged: Celtic, system, Design, Commitment, Team
“When a team is functioning on all cylinders, listening is an essential component of success. A team, whether it’s a sports team, a business, or a family, cannot function effectively unless you and everyone else are prepared to drop the filters that get in the way of effective listening.”
— Bill Russell
Tagged: Team, Listening, essential, Success
“Boston itself was a flea market of racism. It had all varieties, old and new. The city had corrupt, city hall-crony racists, brick-throwing, send-’em-back-to-Africa racists, and in the university areas phony radical-chic racists. . . . Other than that, I liked the city.”
— Bill Russell
Tagged: Boston, racism, Corruption
“I loved making passes in from out of bounds because I could see each of my teammates so distinctly in the rush of bodies moving this way and that. … [B]ecause I had acquired enough technique, I could slow those bodies down in my mind’s eye before I released the ball.”
— Bill Russell
Tagged: Basketball, strategy, Team, Teamwork, technique
“Red was a mathematician as well as a basketball man, and he drew on that as a coach. … Even in the final minutes of games, the abacus in Red’s mind was clicking away: ‘Okay, we’ve got three minutes, we’re up by ten, that means if we play good defense and don’t throw the ball away, we need three more baskets.”
— Bill Russell
Tagged: coach, Basketball, strategy, Leadership
“On offense, it’s possible to take a break, to stand around a bit, let other players take over. On defense, if you take a break, a good offensive team will burn you. On the other hand, when you and your teammates are all doing the job – and you’re all that good – the great reward is watching the other team slowly suffocate.”
— Bill Russell
Tagged: Offense, defense, Work, Work Ethic, Team
“Retiring was my final victory. Not staying a minute too long, or a season too long, let me leave on my own terms. Knowing when to retire is difficult for any athlete or businessperson. You have to give up so much and start another life. But making that decision and sticking to it is one of the most rewarding decisions you will ever make in your life. I encourage people to look at this moment as starting a new season in a different game.”
— Bill Russell
Tagged: Retirement, victory, Basketball, athlete
loading next page...