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'Shut Up and Dribble': Where Is Bill Russell Now? | Heavy.com

As Shut Up and Dribble will document tonight, former Boston Celtics center Bill Russell was an integral part of NBA history, and one of the first African American players to achieve superstar status and unanimous acceptance among fans.

Russell, 84, continues to be a basketball icon and an active NBA personality. On May 20, 2007, Russell was awarded an honorary doctorate by Suffolk University, where he served as its commencement speaker, and on June 7 of the same year, he received an honorary degree from Harvard University.

Russell is also an accomplished author, having written several books since Go Up for Glory in 1966.

His most recent book, Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend, was published in 2009.

Russell Has Earned 2 Honorary Degrees & Written Several Sports Books.

Russell, who played from 1956 to 1969, has occupied many different positions since his retirement.

He had stints as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics from 1973 to 1977, and the Sacramento Kings from 1987 to 1988.

He also served as a player/coach for the Celtics from 1966 to 1969, making him the first African American coach in professional sports and the first to win a championship.

Russell worked as a color commentator for CBS and TBS throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

In later interviews, however, he stated that he felt uncomfortable as a broadcaster.

"The most successful television is done in eight-second thoughts, and the things I know about basketball, motivation, and people go deeper than that," he said.

During this period, Russell maintained his status as a celebrity, appearing on a 1979 episode of Saturday Night Live and a 1986 episode of Miami Vice.

Russell Worked as a Sports Commentator During the 1970s & 80s.

According to the New York Times, Russell became a recluse towards the end of the 1990s, living in isolation at his Mercer Island home near Seattle.

"I wanted to be forgotten," he explained. "My plan was to fade away.

I've tried to keep my life as small as possible.

I have some good friends, and I have fun.".

"I was comfortable with going home and closing the door, but [business advisor] Alan [Hilburg] and my daughter and a few friends said that wasn't right," Russell added.

"They said I shouldn't take my accomplishments in silence.

While I'm not completely comfortable with this, I can put myself in a frame of mind where I'm not uncomfortable.".

Russell Was Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom In 2011.

He published the acclaimed book Russell's Rules: 11 Lessons on Leadership from the Twentieth Century's Greatest Winner in 2001 and five years later, he was recognized for his impact on college basketball as a member of the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

In 2009, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award would be renamed the "Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award" in his honor.

 In 2011, Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for making "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

Russell currently resides in Mercer Island.

He had two children; Karen Kenyatta Russell and Jacob Russell.

For more infomation >> 'Shut Up and Dribble': Where Is Bill Russell Now? | Heavy.com - Duration: 5:58.

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'Shut Up and Dribble': Where Is Oscar Robertson Now? | Heavy.com - Duration: 5:47.

'Shut Up and Dribble': Where Is Oscar Robertson Now? | Heavy.com

As Shut Up and Dribble will document tonight, former Cincinnati Royals player Oscar Robertson was an integral part of the Robertson v.

National Basketball Association suit of 1970, which led to reform of the NBA's strict free agency policy and higher salaries for players.

Robertson, 79, continues to push for legal change today.

In 2015, he was part of a group of investors who placed a marijuana legalization initiative on the Ohio ballot.

Robertson appeared in a television advertisement advocating for passage of the initiative, though it was ultimately turned down.

He also wrote the 2013 book The Big O: My Life, My Times, My Game, about the racial inequality he had to face throughout his career.

Robertson Continues to Advocate for Legal Change Today.

Robertson has taken on many other jobs since his retirement.

He worked as a color commentator with Brent Musburger on games televised by CBS during the 1974–75 NBA season, where he became known for his trademark expression: "Oh, Brent, did you see that!" In 2000, Robertson was hired on as the director of Countrywide Financial Corporation, and remained as such until the company's sale to Bank of America in 2008.

In July 2004, Robertson was named interim head coach of the Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team while head coach Bob Huggins served a suspension for a drunk-driving conviction.

Robertson only coached the team for a month.

He Spent 8 Years as the Director of Countrywide Financial Corporation.

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Today, Robertson is still regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history.

His rookie scoring average of 30.5 points per game is the third highest of any rookie in NBA history, and he averaged more than 30 points per game in six of his first seven seasons, something only three only players in history have matched.

Robertson was also the first player to average more than 10 assists and 10 rebounds per game, respectively.

 He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 28, 1980, and received the "Player of the Century" award by the National Association of Basketball Coaches in 2000.

His 1970 Court Case Remains a Watershed Moment In Sports Free Agency.

As Shut Up and Dribble attests to, however, his most influential actions were off the court, and in the courtroom.

 In Sam Smith's book Hard Labor: The Battle That Birthed the Billion-Dollar NBA, Jerry West was quoted as saying: "I don't think they know how much one person, Oscar, could make this much difference in their lives, in their pay, the way they are treated, how much they are taken care of today.

When asked the impact that his court case had on the game, Robertson told USA Today that it was a sacrifice worth making. "Some know more than others but they're benefitting from it, which is the main thing," he observed.

"That means more than anything.

They've elevated the game and people love the game." In 2018, Robertson was given the Lifetime Achievement Award at the NBA Awards.

Robertson currently lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife Yvonne Crittenden.

He has three daughters: Mari Robertson; Tia Elaine Robertson; and Shana Yvonne Robertson.