The MVP award was very satisfying in terms of personal accomplishments, but the championship was the most important thing of all.
I was the original socially depraved shy ghetto kid.
Russell joined the team in December, 1956, following the Olympics.
Race wasn't an issue. My family was French, but Yorkville was a melting pot of races and cultures.
French was my first language.
These days I smile benignly at the fights that I see in NBA games. There aren't any broken noses or black eyes, which happened quite often when I played.