Considered by many to be the sport’s greatest player (and certainly great man) of all time, the NBA Hall of Famer is best known for winning 11 championships in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, including eight straight from 1959 to in 1966. The 6-foot-10 center was a five-time MVP, 12-time All-Star, two-time NCAA champion at the University of San Francisco and an Olympic gold medalist in 1956. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
However, it wasn’t until after his career ended that he took up golf.
Speaking to GolfChannel.com’s Rex Hoggard in 2014, just months after open-heart surgery, Russell explained how he got started in golf. It was either his first or second All-Star game – he couldn’t remember – and he and the other contestants were gifted sets of golf clubs.
Russell, however, was far from eager to break out in his new set.
“I put them in the garage right away,” said Russell, who didn’t pick them up for years until after he hung up his basketball shoes.
“When I got older, I had a little time, so I thought, maybe I’ll play golf,” he added. “So I got the clubs out and they were right-handed. I didn’t even know that all this time.”
For The Record: Champion and mentor, Bill Russell
When he finally bought himself a left-handed set, Russell scratched his competitive itch by racing with friends. But the quality of golf on display in those first fours, Russell admitted, wasn’t exactly pretty.
“No one could play,” he said. “If you shot 101, you won all the money. The high score would be 160.
Later, Russell played in several pro-ams, including the PGA Tour’s annual stop at Pebble Beach, and occasionally with avid golfer Michael Jordan. Such a run during Jordan and the Bulls’ heyday produced one of the best smack-talk stories ever – and making the story even better, Jordan, for once, was on the receiving end.
As Russell once said: “I think he’s a great player and I have the utmost respect for him. We were out in the middle of the golf course. they had just won the championship. He says, “You know we’re going after your record.” I said, “Which one?” … You know, we’ve won 11, but we’ve won eight in a row. I don’t think you’ll live long enough to get any of them.”
Bill Russell with Lee Elder
When Russell underwent surgery to replace a valve in his heart, he was on the golf course almost every day. After the surgery, it took months for Russell to return to the game.
“My heart was not very kind to it,” he said. “It wasn’t a big loss, though. I was never that good anyway.”
He wasn’t good on the hardwood either. He was great. All time great.
