NBA champion Bill Russell, who was in the Bay Area and won 2 NCAA Tournament Championships at the University of San Francisco, passed away on Sunday at the age of 88.
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Russell is remembered for his contributions to the civil rights movement and for being one of the best basketball players of all time.
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He played varsity basketball his final year at McClymonds High School after spending his junior year on the JV squad.
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He was only given a scholarship from one school, and there, under head coach Phil Woolpert, he excelled as a centre while also competing as a high jumper.
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In his final game as a professional, a 108-106 road victory that solidified Boston, Russell collected 26 rebounds.
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Russell retired from playing and coaching after the 1969 Finals. While he did spend 4 years in the 1970s coaching the Seattle SuperSonics and dabbled in broadcasting
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He was under FBI observation because of his activism, and in a file, agents described him as "an arrogant Negro who won't sign autographs for white youngsters."
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Russell's life was marked by encounters with racism, from his family's decision to move from Monroe to Oakland when he was a kid to the abuse he received from media and fans.
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Russell was a supporter of the Black Power movement and boycotted an exhibition game in Lexington in 1961 because 2 of his teammates were refused service in a coffee shop.
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William Sr., Jacob, and Karen, Russell's 3 children, are left to care for him. They were conceived when he was still married to Rose, his 1st wife. He had 3 additional marriages.
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The final of those four marriages was to Jeannine, a talented golfer who was 33 years younger than he was. When he passed away, Jeannine was by his side.
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