Back then every small town had a gym, and if itseated more than 2,000 then we'd be interested in playing in it.

The MVP award was very satisfying in terms of personal accomplishments, but the championship was the most important thing of all.

I dribbled by the hour with my left hand when I was young. I didn't have full control, but I got so I could move the ball back and forth from one hand to the other without breaking the cadence of my dribble. I wasn't dribbling behind my back or setting up any trick stuff, but I was laying the groundwork for it.

I had endured six years of frustration so I think winning it all meant more to me than most of the others on the team.

Sports create a bond between comtemporaries that lasts a lifetime. It also gives your life structure, discipline and a genuine, sincere, pure fulfillment that few other areas of endeavor provide.

My family was poor, my father drove a cab for a living, but we felt normal because everybody else was in the same boat.

Russell joined the team in December, 1956, following the Olympics.