Buddy Thomas On Why People Aren't Flocking To The Bill Russell Tribute

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

       NewStandard: 5/20/99
       Buddy Thomas

 
      Packed house a longshot for Russell tribute

       What if they held a big party and nobody came? 
       Well, we could find out next Wednesday night when former Celtics' great 
      and NBA legend, Bill Russell, is expected to stand tall among sections of 
      empty seats at the FleetCenter. 
       The night is being billed as a "Tribute to Bill Russell," the man who 
      helped bring 11 NBA championships to the city of Boston. Unfortunately, 
      the response has been less than enthusiastic with a reported 15,000 of the 
      18,624 seats at the Fleet still unsold. 
       Some say it's a money thing, with seats beginning at $10 and escalating 
      as high as $100. 
       Others blame the slack in ticket sales on Russell's personality, one that 
      made this talented center one of the most aloof stars in the history of 
      the NBA. 
       Both may be factors, but I'm convinced the main reason people won't go is 
      because most of them don't even know who Bill Russell is. 
       There will be some who brand that reason as absurd and maybe it is. 
       But it's not nearly as absurd as the racial spin some people are trying 
      to put on it. 
       Bill Russell was a among the black pioneers of professional basketball 
      and, while it's true there were the bigots who didn't like the way this 
      6-9 picture of basketball grace stood up for equal rights for the black 
      man in the sport, Russell earned the respect of every basketball fan with 
      his brilliant, unselfish play on the court. 
       He joined the Celtics in time for the 1956-57 season and immediately led 
      them to their first NBA title. With Russell at center, the Boston Celtics 
      won 11 championships including eight in a row from 1959-1966. He played 13 
      seasons in Boston, earning first or second team all-star status 11 times. 
      He was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player five times -- 1958, '61, '62. 
      '63 and '65. And, in 1980, he was named the greatest player in the 35-year 
      history of the NBA. 
       But, off the court, Russell was both cool and curt. 
       He wouldn't sign autographs for anybody -- young or old. He claimed it 
      was a personal thing and he remained true to himself throughout his 
      playing days. But when he was offered big money to sign at card shows 
      following his retirement, his personal feelings changed and he signed 
      freely. 
       He upset people in 1975 when he turned down enshrinement in the Hall of 
      Fame. Again, it was for personal reasons. 
       But nothing Russell did or said off the court could diminish what he did 
      for the NBA in general and the Boston Celtics in particular. He was truly 
      a great player. 
       The key word here, however, is WAS. 
       Russell's playing days ended following the 1968-69 season. That's 30 
      years ago when today's average basketball fan was either an infant or a 
      thought. And unlike teammates Bob Cousy and Tom Heinsohn who kept their 
      memories alive by remaining active in the community, Russell eventually 
      chose the path of Horace Greeley and headed west. 
       He stayed here long enough to coach the Celtics through the 1968-69 
      season, but for the next 2½ decades, Russell had little or no connection 
      with the city of Boston. 
       While Cousy and Heinsohn retained their close ties to Boston and the 
      Celtics, Russell gradually became a fading memory. 
       Oh, there are still a few of us who remember. Maybe even more than a few. 
      But expecting to bang out a building like the FleetCenter at inflated 
      ticket prices in a time when the winter sports' scene in Boston has 
      already thawed is as unrealistic as it promises to be embarrassing. 
       However, to suggest it has anything to do with race is ridiculous. If the 
      event were held in a hotel ballroom in downtown Boston before a overflow 
      crowd of, say, 3,000, race wouldn't even be an issue. 
       I appreciate what Bill Russell did for basketball and the Celtics and 
      applaud the on-going efforts to honor his contributions. But the fact is 
      the name Bill Russell simply doesn't resonate with today's generation. 
       Certainly not to the tune of 18,624 people willing to pay up to $100 a 
      ticket. 
       Buddy Thomas' column appears on Thursday in The Standard-Times. 
     


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