Bill Russel

Career stats:
15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 AST, 44% FG%, 56% FT%

Awards: Hall of Fame, 12x All Star, 5x MVP, 11x NBA Champ, 11x All-NBA, 4x TRB Champ

Strengths:

• The ultimate leader and possibly the greatest leader in NBA history.

• Pogo stick like jumping ability making him one of the greatest rebounders in NBA history

• High defensive IQ and versatility with the ability to switch on to guards.

• Pioneer of the Celtics fast break offense in the 60s which was initiated by his rebounding and playmaking

• Highest all-time in defensive win shares by a large margin

• Never lost a Game 7 despite playing in 10 of them.

• Engineered the first comeback from a 3-1 deficit as a player/coach.

Weaknesses:

• Russell played in an era where there were fewer NBA teams—about 10

• Quite simply, there really wasn’t any competitive balance in the NBA during the 60s and Bill Russel played on the best team of the decade with multiple Hall of Fame teammates. Most notably, Bob Cousy, Tom Heinsohn, K.C. Jones, Tom Sanders, and John Havlicek (All part of the Hall of Fame)

• There was no 24-second rule or three-second rule back in the 60's

• Russell had incredible athletic ability and vertical leap, but he had an immense advantage over players of his era, who were smaller, weaker, and less athletic than players today.