(Editor's note: This story was published before the 2022-23 NBA season as part of The Sporting News' 6 for No. 6 series.)
In a 2018 interview with Jemele Hill, Kobe Bryant described his relationship with Bill Russell. Bryant, always a basketball nerd at heart, shared one of Russell's important lessons that he carried with him throughout his career.
Russell told Bryant that he had the skills to dribble, pass and shoot at a high level, but he recognized that his Celtics teammates were better in those offensive areas. In order for Boston to reach its ultimate goal, he had to shift his attention to the other end of the floor.
"[Russell said], 'What I do best is defend and rebound, so I'm going to completely focus on that. Let [Bob] Cousy handle the ball. Let Sam [Jones] be the shooter, [John] Havlicek be the shooter,'" Bryant told Hill. "And I thought that was a very, very insightful thing that I used in how I was able to go on and win those two championships [after Shaquille O'Neal left the Lakers]."
To say Russell was just the best defender on his Celtics teams would be one of the biggest understatements in NBA history. The 11-time champion, who died on July 31 at the age of 88, turned defense into an art form and revolutionized how a center could impact the game.
He dominated the opposition from 1956-1969, but Russell could have easily fit into any era. His unique combination of physical tools and basketball IQ made him the most intimidating defensive force in NBA history.
MORE: Celebrating the life and legacy of the NBA's greatest winner, Bill Russell
Bill Russell's physicality
Lakers legend Jerry West once said that Russell looked "regal" when he stood on the court with his hands on his hips. Russell not only had the size (6-10, 215 pounds with a 7-4 wingspan) to rule the paint like a king, but also the speed to stick with guards on the perimeter.
"Other than his animal intensity that he brought to the game, his speed and quickness in those days, I mean, it was like a man playing with boys," Cousy said.
And Russell wasn't just picking on less talented players. He could bother all-time greats such as Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor.
Russell was considered one of the best high jumpers in the world before he began his NBA career, and you could see how his leaping ability helped him to snag rebounds and swat away shot attempts.
He averaged a preposterous 22.5 rebounds per game, landing at No. 2 on the all-time rebounding list behind only his longtime rival, Wilt Chamberlain. Blocks were not recognized as an official stat until 1973-74, so he likely would have been near or at the top of that list, too.
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Sending a shot deep into the stands looks cool on a highlight reel, but Russell was never concerned with aesthetics. His goal was to control the ball in order to end the defensive possession.
Many of Russell's blocks served as outlet passes. He would often tip the ball to himself or flick it toward one of his teammates. His spacial awareness, help positioning and timing were impeccable.
(via Foobas Sports)
Bill Russell's mentality
But Russell didn't need to block every shot. The word hadn't entered the NBA lexicon at that point, but he was the definition of a rim protector, a big man who got inside the heads of his opponents simply by existing.
Hall of Famer Bob Pettit admitted that a few Russell blocks would have him missing open layups because he was looking for No. 6.
"Everybody was just afraid of Russell, including the guys who were shooting from outside when they wanted to go in and take a layup," Jones said. "They knew they were not gonna get a layup, so they would stop short and take a jump shot. He just intimidated people."
(via Foobas Sports)
Russell was also ahead of his time in terms of scouting reports. Tom Heinsohn, who was Russell's teammate for nearly a decade, said that Russell "had a book on everybody" and knew where players wanted to operate long before tracking data provided an in-depth shot chart. Red Auerbach, who coached Russell for 10 of his 13 NBA seasons, claimed that no one could "fool him twice in a season on the same move."
But the mind games went even deeper. Bryant learned that Russell would occasionally let Chamberlain score throughout a game. Russell believed that Chamberlain would be more motivated if Russell was completely shutting him down.
"So Bill felt if he could appease Wilt, let him score once in a while, then Wilt would remain satisfied and Bill could keep him at bay," Bryant told Jackie MacMullan in 2016.
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For Russell, defense was as much about breaking someone's confidence as blocking shots or grabbing boards.
"Psychologically, you have to try to make the offensive player question what he's doing," Russell said. "'Will this work? Can I make this shot?' You have to create doubts."
Put the mentality and physicality together, and you have a master of defense. It's what Russell did best — and he did it better than anyone else.
