I hope I epitomize the American dream. For I came against long odds, from the ghetto to the very top of my profession. I was not immediately good at basketball. It did not come easy. It came as the result of a lot of hard work and self-sacrifice. The rewards, where they worth it? One thousand times over.
Bill RussellLearning is a daily experience and a lifetime mission. I truly believe in the saying "We work to become, not to acquire."
Bill RussellCommitment separates those who live their dreams from those who live their lives regretting the opportunities they have squandered.
Bill RussellAfter I played him for the first time, I said 'Let's see. He's four or five inches taller. He's 40 or 50 pounds heavier. His vertical leap is at least as good as mine. He can get up and down the floor as well as I can. And he's smart. The real problem with all this is I have to show up.
Bill RussellI think what has happened to our basketball team, we've been badly distracted. They're not reading too many positive things in the paper.
Bill RussellI don't have very many regrets, not because I lived a perfect life but because life is a bunch of rolling hills, not mountains, or speed bumps instead of stop signs, and so you come to a situation and it's neither good or bad, it just is, and what it means to you is what's your take on it. But the second part of the equation is what are you going to do about it. A lot of times I'm completely wrong, but all you do is back up and start over.
Bill Russell