In the 1950s and ‘60s, as the Boston Celtics built the NBA’s greatest dynasty, Russell thought fresh-out-of-college newcomers were supposed to be seen, not heard. Listen and learn.
Not only was Russell a living legend, he was also the head coach of the Boston Celtics, who had just won another NBA championship. This would be his final season. “Sam Jones and Havlicek said you ought to be thrilled, because he never even said that to any other rookies,” Chaney said. “It registers more now than it did back then, because he hadn’t done that with any other rookie, so he must have seen something in me,” Chaney said.People like Chaney.
When Jackie Robinson died, his wife Rachel asked Russell to be a pallbearer at the funeral, because Russell was Jackie’s favorite athlete.