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Steve Bulpett on Bill Russell - Double Play
Boston Herald
Big request for Big Bill: Pitino asks Celtics legend Russell to give his
players a talking-to
by Steve Bulpett
Tuesday, October 12, 1999
Bill Russell stood on the sideline at the Celtics' practice facility
yesterday, wearing black high-tops and a Celtics sweatsuit and punctuating
long gazes at the court with instructive remarks and his trademark laugh.
It was roughly akin to George Washington stepping off the $1 bill to teach
political science at Harvard.
After the workout, the franchise legend made two points very clear: He is
here at the request of - and with admiration for - Rick Pitino. And he is
taking a no-nonsense approach to his periodic appearances to help the
Celts.
``Basically, I started the whole thing by saying - after we got the head
coach and the players in the room - I said, `OK, everybody in the room is
rich. OK? So we all got that squared away,' '' Russell said. `` `Now what
are we going to do? The contracts are all set and everything, so that's
not even part of the equation now.
``This is potentially a really outstanding team, and the only thing that
we have to find out now is how we can put it together so that we're
playing as a team. How quickly can we do that?' ''
Russell explained that he would come in from the Seattle area regularly to
work with the players and the marketing department.
``First of all, I want to say the reason I'm here is to give as much help
as I can to Rick,'' said the 11-time NBA champion. ``I think he's a great
coach and the perfect coach for this team. And I am a Celtic and will be a
Celtic from here through eternity. My team may need some help, and if I
can do it I'll do it, because that Celtic Pride is not just a cliche to
me. It's something.
``I'm really flattered, Rick, that you asked me to come,'' he said,
turning toward the coach. ``I will do everything I can to help him in any
way that I can. I think he's the perfect coach for this job, and if all of
us Celtics can help, we're always glad to do that.
``I'll just tell you this. I am extraordinarily pleased to be here - and
especially under these conditions. It's put a little bounce in my step. I
always have been a Celtic fan, from the first day I got here. I'd never
been to Boston before I joined the Celtics, and I'd never seen the Celtics
play before I joined the Celtics, but the first time I saw them play I
became a Celtic fan. And I will be one until they . . . I probably could
put it on my tombstone - `Celtic.' So I can't tell you how happy I am to
be here and hopefully be of assistance to Rick.''
Russell deftly swatted aside questions as to how much impact he could have
on players not yet born when he helped defeat the Lakers in his last game
for the 1969 championship (only Dana Barros and Pervis Ellison, both
barely 2, were alive then).
``This is the same game, and I know it very well from a player's point of
view,'' Russell said. ``So when I talk to a player about something, 95
percent of them know what I'm talking about. The other 5 percent, they're
not going to make the team anyway.''
After pausing for humorous effect, he added, ``I know this game, and they
know I know it. You see, one of the great assets of a good coach is the
ability to listen and to be able to communicate with his players. I know
all these guys and I know all of the problems they have. And I know
basketball.
``So when I talk to them, I talk to them in ways they can understand
clearly. I never give them any BS.''
Pitino concurred on the player issue, with one modification.
``The players really haven't changed, except that everybody today is
stat-conscious,'' he said. ``They want double-figure rebounds, they want
this, they want that. Bill addressed it this way. He said, `You know, if
your stats are your ego, mine was the team. My ego was larger than all of
you, because my ego is a championship ego, a team ego.'
``I've had 50 people speak to my teams through my 26 years of coaching,
and he's the most insightful person I've been around. He is Celtic Pride.
``If somebody says to Bill, `What do you think of Celtic Pride?' Well, he
started Celtic Pride along with Red Auerbach. This tradition is what Bill
is all about, so we're hoping . . . that some of his insights rub off on
the players as well as the coaches. We're ecstatic to have him
here.''
Boston Herald
Rick knows motivation when he hears it
Celtics Notebook/by Steve Bulpett
Tuesday, October 12, 1999
If his gig as special instructor with the Celtics doesn't work out, Bill
Russell could always scoop up Rick Pitino and hit the road. The two
obviously hit it off when Russell spoke to the team last April, and they
were comfortable behind microphones yesterday, evoking laughter on several
occasions.
When Pitino spoke about Russell, with 11 championships, being upset at
getting injured and missing a chance at another, the big man stepped in.
``I've never forgiven myself for that,'' Russell said, his grin growing as
he went. ``Really it's a sore spot with me.
``That 12th championship would have been really . . .''
``Yeah,'' Pitino jumped in, ``we all can identify with that.''
Actually, Russell may be looking to hit Pitino up for some royalty fees.
``I go around and give a lot of motivational speeches,'' Pitino said,
``and now about 20 percent of my speech is quoting Bill Russell and what
he said to our team (in April) - because every corporation in America
should listen to what Bill Russell has to say to try to get a team to be
above all the individual glory.
``When I heard Bill speak, we went out and won by 26 or 27 (actually 21
over the Wizards), and then he had to leave and I got very upset about
that because I had to give the motivational speech the next day. At that
point I knew he could be of tremendous value to a young ballclub. And if
the players listen and really understand what he's saying, we will be a
playoff team this year, no question in my mind.''
Russell pounced.
``You guys got that?'' he said.
``I've already made that mistake,'' Pitino said of his playoff promise for
this season.
Among Russell's first-day observations (everyone was healthy and made it
through the session as tomorrow night's exhibition opener approaches):
``The white team, which is the second unit, is out-hustling the green
team,'' he said. ``Now that used to happen to us, too, until Red
(Auerbach) took out his cigar and a whip.''
Also, Russell added, ``It's very difficult for guys to think now, because
if you're tired it's very difficult to think. That's your first enemy,
fatigue - especially in this sport. So as the guys get in shape, things
will work better.''
Russell will work with the club today and tomorrow before flying home to
Mercer Island in Washington. His next appearance is uncertain.
``I'm usually going to come and stay a week at a time,'' he said. ``See, I
live at land's end out in Seattle.
``That's where you get when you get where you're going. I live on this
island and I come off the island every now and then. Now, most of the time
I come off the island, I'll be coming here.''
Of his familiarity with modern-day basketball, Russell explained that he
has a satellite dish. ``I watched an average of four games a day and threw
shoes at the TV and pissed and moaned,'' he said.
After saying the Celtics were the only team he was interested in helping,
Russell acknowledged the report in yesterday's Herald that he has spoken
to the Sonics about TV work and that some player instruction could be
involved.
``I really don't know right now,'' he said. ``I have to talk to my agent.
``I know he's talked to (Seattle) a couple of times.''
Of other offers he has received over the years, Russell said, ``You know,
it's like, most people don't know how to talk to me. But that's not an
accident. So I've had calls, but this is the only place that I was
interested in.''