#RussellMania - The man, the activist, the coach

We discuss Bill Russell's childhood, college career, life off the court, post-playing career and his extensive civil rights activism with Dr. Aram Goudsouzian, author of “King of the Court: Bill Russell and the Basketball Revolution.” We discuss the events of Russell's childhood that shaped his life including his mother's death when he was 12, the unique way he developed his game on defensive, his time at the University of San Francisco, the significance of him rejecting the Harlem Globetrotters and blazing a trail for black NBA superstars, how he dealt with racism among fans and media members, speaking out against NBA quotas of black players, visiting Mississippi during the Freedom Summer in 1964, his views on Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, writing a Sports Illustrated article in support of Muhammad Ali, his work to support integration in Boston schools, why he opposed signing autographs and rejected the Basketball Hall of Fame, his post-playing life trying to break into Hollywood, and his stints coaching the Seattle Supersonics in the 1970s and Sacramento Kings in the late 1980s, and much more.