Only a handful of players truly changed the game; among that select few, one revolutionized it.
Previous to Russell, if anyone blocked a shot, it was his own man’s. The shooter, or driver, only had to worry about his own defender.
With Russell’s advent, there was a seismic shift. And with that, a revolution in how people thought, competed, and strategized, all stemming from one gifted man with an astonishingly brilliant mind and mature soul. Assist to Red Auerbach.
Postscript Q&A
B.D.: Bob, One of the documentaries has a pretty incredible bit about Russ’s first college game. His college coach objected to him blocking the first five shots taken by a consensus pre-season All-American center for Berkeley: “You can’t do that!” Leaving your feet on D was unacceptable. Russ tried to comply (for a minute) — but the opponent scored a couple times in a row and that was IT. He went back to blocking shots. His college coach never really cottoned on to his game…
Liss: I’ve heard Russell say that, but I recall him in college as a highly feared shot blocker.
I saw that team. No internal discord was evident. Russell did his thang, undeterred and unconstrained. There was no indication that his coach was in any other place.
His Holiday Festival match-up with Heinsohn in the Garden was epic, but over in the first two minutes. Heinsohn came up and headed for the right corner. Russell simply watched. “What’s he doing goin’ there?” Tommy threw in 20 foot running hook, no backboard. Next Holy Cross possession, Heinsohn dribbles up, heads for that corner. But now Russell has seen enough. That shot lands in the 8th row. Game over. Heinsohn understood.
That’s my version. Heinsohn tells it very differently in his book.