“Draymond Green is playing center right now at 6’6” Chris Broussard details how Bill Russell would’ve ‘KILLED’ in today’s NBA
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Chris Broussard talks about Bill Russell
NBA had many dominant players in the past. Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell was one of the most dominant players of them, making nearly 100% record in all the championship games he played. Let those games be at the college level, or the international level, or even in NBA, He won 13 championships out of a possible 15 in his playing days. But it was not all about offense for Bill Russell. Throughout his illustrious career, the all-time great was known as one of the greatest defensive players to ever step foot on the hardwood. Citing his dominance around the paint area, sports analyst Chris Broussard confirms that Russell would have been a superstar in today’s era also.
On a recent episode of The Odd Couple show, the 53-year-old analysts said, “Look at Bill Russell, oh was he even 6’10” he might have been 6’9″, couldn’t really shoot jumpers, wouldn’t have been any good today… Ben Wallace was a Hall of Famer at 6’7″ recently…Draymond Green is playing center right now at 6’6″. Robert Williams III wreaks havoc on today’s NBA. Don’t tell me Bill Russell, who’s one of the greatest athletes the league has seen, couldn’t have been a superstar in today’s NBA.”
Broussard and Rob Parker went on to praise Russell. Broussard favorably compared Russell to the likes of Ben Wallace, Draymond Green, and Robert Williams III. These players occupy the 4th and 5th place in the team – much similar to Bill Russell’s position on the court.
Bill Russell would have fit in any team in any era
There are very few players who have no limits to their gameplay – not even a change in the style of play or change in era. Bill Russell’s impact on the game of basketball was second to none. He was just brilliant on the court, leaving his footsteps all over the sport for years to come. Although it’s difficult to compare the various eras of the NBA, Russell could be a dominant force even in today’s NBA.
There are many interesting aspects of Bill Russell’s game that are yet to be matched. He was not a giant 7-footer player, but he was able to out-rebound his opponents with ease. At 6’10”, he was athletic enough to counter fast breaks from opponents.
Also, though there are no definite stats available due to the late introduction of the shot-blocking category, Russell was one of the best shot blockers during his time. He was able to produce massive double-double performances on a nightly basis, playing nearly 48 minutes on the court.
If we go by different teams and games played after his retirement, many mega-star players were making their mark on the league during their playing time. But Bill Russell’s addition would have made a huge difference. At the time of receiving his Lifetime Achievement award in 2017, Bill Russell also declared that he would have kicked a**, pointing at some big-time centers including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaq, Alonso Mourning, etc present on the stage. Though it was in a humorous sense, it was true in some sense.
Bill Russell won his last 2 championships as player-coach for the Celtics. It highlights his unparallel game sense. His defensive abilities, vision for the fast-paced game, and overall game IQ make him a unique player, who can fit into any team strategy and gameplay.
He was without any question member of NBA’s 25th-anniversary team and the teams formed after that too. The basketball world mourned his recent death when he passed away at the age of 88 on July 31.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)