On Bill Russell, a giant

"I love the interviews that I learn from. (For example) I adore Bill Russell. Segregation was never a problem for him – if you don't want to see me play, that's fine. I'm outta here. He had a dignity and an aura about him that I only experienced one other time – when I shook hands with Nelson Mandela. It wouldn't have mattered what era Bill Russell had been born in; he would have been a giant at whatever he did."
     — David Feherty

"He was born in 1934 to poor parents in Louisiana, the Jim Crow South. He became the first African-American superstar in basketball. Before he was drafted by the Celtics, he led San Francisco University to two NCAA championships (San Francisco was his first and only scholarship offer). He also won a gold medal in 1956. He quickly became the centerpiece of the Celtics’ dynasty in the late '50s and '60s. He was the NBA’s MVP five times and an All-Star 12 times in 13 seasons. He and his rival Wilt Chamberlain are the only players to get more than 50 rebounds in a game. Russell’s intensity was unrelenting, as were his expectations of his teammates. He would get so worked up before games that he would vomit. The sound reassured his teammates. Havlicek called it 'a tremendous sound, almost as loud as his laugh.' And, said Havlicek, 'It’s a welcome sound, too, because it means he’s keyed up for the game and around the locker room we'd grin and say, man, we’re gonna be all right tonight.'"
     — New England Historical Society

"The most successful television is done in eight-second thoughts, and the things I know about basketball, motivation, and people go deeper than that."
     — Bill Russell, who did some broadcasting/commentating but didn't like it and didn't continue

"If your kids experience kindness growing up, they will know how it feels. A lot of people equate kindness with weakness. But true kindness is an act of strength."
     — Bill Russell

(For his philanthropic accomplishments in Civil Rights and mentoring young people, President Obama awarded Bill Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom.) "'Is this the greatest personal honor in his life?' (He was asked.) 'A close second,' Russell replied. Umm, what’s first? 'When he was about 77, my father and I were talking,' Russell answered. 'And he said: You know, you're all grown up now, and I want to tell you something. You know, I am very proud of the way you turned out as my son, and I'm proud of you as a father.' 'My father is my hero, okay, and I cannot perceive of anything topping that.'"
     — The New York Times