By Bill Koch
While watching a Netflix documentary about Bill Russell the other day, I learned something I had never heard before.
When Russell came out of college in 1956 after leading San Francisco to back-to-back national titles, he was expected to be the first pick in the NBA draft. Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach desperately wanted him, but the Celtics had the seventh pick in the draft that year, so Auerbach had some wheeling and dealing to do.
First, he made a trade with the St. Louis Hawks to move up to the second pick. But he still feared he wouldn’t get Russell because the Rochester Royals were likely to take him with the No. 1 pick. At the time, the Ice Capades was a very popular skating show that was touring the nation. Walter Brown, the owner of the Celtics, was also the president of the Ice Capades. Brown called Royals owner Lee Harrison and told him he would send the Ice Capades to Rochester for one week if the Royals passed on Russell.
Harrison agreed and the Celtics took Russell, the centerpiece of a dynasty that won 11 NBA championships from 1957 through 1969.
A year later, in 1957, the Royals moved to Cincinnati. If Harrison hadn’t given up the rights to Russell, he might have played his career in Cincinnati, eventually alongside former UC stars Jack Twyman, Oscar Robertson, who joined the Royals in 1960; and Ohio State's Jerry Lucas, who joined them in 1963. All three are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Perhaps the Royals would have become the NBA dynasty instead of the Celtics, and wouldn’t have left town for Kansas City in 1972.
According to the documentary, Russell experienced blatant racism during his time in Boston. What if he had spent his career in the Queen City instead?
While watching a Netflix documentary about Bill Russell the other day, I learned something I had never heard before.
When Russell came out of college in 1956 after leading San Francisco to back-to-back national titles, he was expected to be the first pick in the NBA draft. Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach desperately wanted him, but the Celtics had the seventh pick in the draft that year, so Auerbach had some wheeling and dealing to do.
First, he made a trade with the St. Louis Hawks to move up to the second pick. But he still feared he wouldn’t get Russell because the Rochester Royals were likely to take him with the No. 1 pick. At the time, the Ice Capades was a very popular skating show that was touring the nation. Walter Brown, the owner of the Celtics, was also the president of the Ice Capades. Brown called Royals owner Lee Harrison and told him he would send the Ice Capades to Rochester for one week if the Royals passed on Russell.
Harrison agreed and the Celtics took Russell, the centerpiece of a dynasty that won 11 NBA championships from 1957 through 1969.
A year later, in 1957, the Royals moved to Cincinnati. If Harrison hadn’t given up the rights to Russell, he might have played his career in Cincinnati, eventually alongside former UC stars Jack Twyman, Oscar Robertson, who joined the Royals in 1960; and Ohio State's Jerry Lucas, who joined them in 1963. All three are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Perhaps the Royals would have become the NBA dynasty instead of the Celtics, and wouldn’t have left town for Kansas City in 1972.
According to the documentary, Russell experienced blatant racism during his time in Boston. What if he had spent his career in the Queen City instead?
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