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Letter
To
William
Felton
Russell
(February
12, 1934
– July
31,
2022),
Civil
Rights
Icon/NBA
Legend
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From
Albert
Taylor
Nelson,
Jr. PLC |
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Dear Mr.
Russell:
 I
have
tried to
locate
an
address
to write
for over
two
decades
as I
have
always
admired
you for
your
contributions
to
society.
I
appreciate
your
authenticity,
pride,
character,
clarity,
courage,
and
intelligence.
Years
ago, I
saw you
at
Detroit's
Charles
Wright
African
American
Museum,
and
before I
could
comment
or ask
you a
question,
the
session
ended. I
would
have
expressed
how much
you
meant to
me and
many
others
in the
United
States.
I
appreciated
you and
other
extraordinary
people
who
happened
to be
exceptional
athletes,
such as
Paul
Robeson,
Jackie
Robinson,
Jim
Brown,
Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar,
and
LeBron
James.
These
great
people
advocated
for
others
at the
height
of their
popularity
and
influence.
They
dared to
use
their
God-given
talents
to
better
humanity
and
support
African
Americans.
I regret
never
reaching
out to
Paul
Robeson
to tell
him how
much his
life
affected
me and
the debt
owed to
him.
Fortunately,
you are
widely
celebrated
and
acknowledged
for your
many
achievements
on and
off the
basketball
court.
Like in
the case
of Mr.
Robeson,
we will
always
be in
your
debt.
The
courage
to stand
for
something
at
anytime
is
unusual,
much
less at
the
height
of your
success
when you
have
everything
to lose.
You were
willing
to give
up
superficiality
for
substance
and do
everything
possible
to make
a real
difference
in
others'
lives
places
you in
rare
company.
Not one
to chase
accolades
or
meaningless
adoration,
you have
always
stood
for
something,
not just
inline.
You
speak
with
dignity,
conviction,
self-assuredness,
frankness,
and
(always)
intellect.
Your no
nonsense
demeanor
has
always
been a
source
of pride
for me.
Yet your
seriousness
is
tempered
with a
great
sense of
humor
and a
great
laugh! I
always
appreciated
how you
honor
your
parents
when
speaking
of
childhood
experiences.
You
never
fail to
mention
how they
shaped
and
molded
you and
the
values
they
transmitted
as proud
and
intelligent
people
made you
into the
man we
have
come to
know.
This
narrative
is often
untold.
I cannot
overstate
that
most
African
Americans
come
from
such
people;
otherwise,
we would
have
been
obliterated
by
racism
long
ago.
You won
two NCAA
and
eleven
NBA
titles
and
eight in
a row.
In
thirteen
months,
you won
the
NCAA,
Olympic
Gold,
and NBA
titles.
The
championships
you won
are
unparalleled.
These
titles
are
manifestations
of your
underlying
greatness
and
stature.
Still,
they do
not
measure
who you
are or
your
significance
as a
man. I
enjoyed
your
comments
about
how your
college
coach
never
saw
anyone
play
defense
like you
and
frankly
did not
know
what to
do with
your
talent.
Everything
worked
out fine
with
your
tenacity,
commitment
to
winning,
and
clarity
of
thought.
Indeed,
your
coach
came to
appreciate
what you
brought
to the
team. On
every
level,
you
engaged
your
teammates
to make
them
better
in an
ego-less
playing
style,
which
resulted
in
consistent
team
game
performances.
I
particularly
admired
how you
revolutionized
the fast
break -
having
your
teammates
in a set
position
after
you
gathered
the
rebound
and
usually
passed
to Bob
Cousy. I
also
adored
your
relationship
with
President/General
Manager/Coach
Red
Auerbach,
which
centered
on
respect
and the
mutual
understanding
that the
parts'
total
was more
critical
than its
pieces.
I could
go on
about
the many
ways you
brought
your
values
and
success
everywhere
you
went.
However,
I most
treasure
your
conduct
off the
court -
specifically
your
exhibition
of
courage,
commitment,
and
dedication.
At the
apex of
your
professional
career,
you were
an
active
advocate
for
civil
rights.
I recall
you
supporting
Muhammad
Ali
(most
unpopular
at the
time)
and your
presence
for many
others
during
the
1960s
while
you were
a
megastar.
Your
uncompromising
character
did not
allow
you to
retreat
into the
background.
I loved
Jackie
Robinson,
and I
still
clearly
see you
as a
pallbearer
at his
funeral
in 1972.
Further,
after
your
playing
days
were
over,
you
never
disparaged
others
to
enhance
your
standing.
It is
commendable
that you
and your
main
rival
Wilt
Chamberlain
were
good
friends,
and you
never
accepted
the bait
to take
anything
away
from
your
legendary
competitor.
You
never
fail to
emphasize
that you
had the
better
team.
Many of
us, who
had
enormous
respect
for
Wilt,
appreciated
that you
did not
allow
the
press to
draw a
wedge
between
the two
best
players,
who
happened
to be
African
American.
During
this
period
of
racial
discord,
legal
discrimination,
busing,
and
other
forms of
disparate
treatment,
you were
always
on the
right
side of
the
equation,
which
gave so
many a
sense of
pride.
As a
youngster
in
Detroit,
you were
a source
of
strength
for me.
It was
moving
when I
heard
Bob
Cousy's
emotional
remarks
that he
did not
know
what was
happening
to
"Russ"
when you
lived in
Boston
and were
subject
to
racial
discrimination.
It was
evident
that you
enjoyed
an
unbreakable
bond
with
your
teammates.
Your
tenure
as the
first
African
American
head
coach of
a modern
professional
team and
your
success
and
emotions
after
winning
your
last
championship
read
like a
fairytale.
Typical
Bill
Russell,
you were
the best
qualified,
most
ready,
and able
to
accomplish
the
task,
and
nothing
else was
the
story.
The
bottom
line was
what is
good is
transportable,
and your
success
traveled
with
you.
Thank
you, Mr.
Russell,
for your
strength,
courage,
and
excellence.
I
cherish
the fact
that I
lived to
witness
many of
your
triumphs.
You walk
in
rarefied
air
because
of your
countless
contributions
to
society.
Your
impact
on my
life
(and
those
around
me) is
undeniable,
and your
legacy
will
continue
to
endure
for
generations
to come.
In
short,
you are
a man
blessed
with
your
forebearers'
pride,
and in
your
authentic
manner,
you
represent
the best
of us!
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