Better NBA Career: Bill Russell or Michael Jordan

[Blu Diablo]

I will help you out. Did Bill Russell have a better basketball "career" or did Michael Jordan have a better basketball "career"?

I don't think the OP could ask it any plainer.

Fam, I understood the question but it's hard to take it seriously when Russ had the better career hands down...and this is coming from a guy just old enough to have seen Magic, Bird, The Dr., Jordan, Kobe, and LeBron in their primes.

 

[Maxxam]

Jordan wins... That nigga Russel played with 12 hall of famers.

Or those hall of famers played with Bill. He won his ENTIRE life in the game... he's the common denominator in all those championships. He has eleven... all those cats with 8, 9 and 10 were playing with him. He's a winner in the truest sense of the word. The fact that he won the title everywhere he went counts. I have no doubt he's as competitive as Jordan... he just doesn't have any history of losing to build a great story.

People played entire careers and basically never saw anyone else win... if you weren't a Celtic, no ring for you.


And again, he did all that while taking no shit from cacs. Being a Black man back then and standing up for something is no small feat. They had everything lose.

 

[chemist]

Or those hall of famers played with Bill. He won his ENTIRE life in the game... he's the common denominator in all those championships. He has eleven... all those cats with 8, 9 and 10 were playing with him. He's a winner in the truest sense of the word. The fact that he won the title everywhere he went counts. I have no doubt he's as competitive as Jordan... he just doesn't have any history of losing to build a great story.

People played entire careers and basically never saw anyone else win... if you weren't a Celtic, no ring for you.


And again, he did all that while taking no shit from cacs. Being a Black man back then and standing up for something is no small feat. They had everything lose.

Russell is the common denominator but he had the most perfect situation of any player in the history of sports. The Celtics passed on Cousy in draft but ended up getting him because he refused to play for the team that drafted him, then the next team that was supposed to get him folded. Bill Sharman's first team folded then he was traded to the Celtics. Frank Ramsey was the fifth pick in the draft. The Celtics didn't even draft Russell. He was the second pick in the draft who was traded for two future hall of famers. That same Russell draft the Celtics picked Tommy Heinsohn and K.C. Jones. They ended up getting three hall of famers in one draft. Bill Russell's first season in the NBA he was playing with 7 future hall of famers. The Celtics ended up adding 5 more hall of famers during Russell's career.

The Celtics had easily the greatest basketball mind during that time, were in a league where there were territorial picks and teams that folded so hall of famers became readily available. Yes Bill Russell was the key to the Celtics winning 11 championships but he was also the benefactor of a lot of great hall of fame teammates and a hall of fame coach/GM.

 

[Complex]

I would have said Jordan if it ended with "the shot"

 

[HeathCliff]

I'm gonna go with Bill with the better career but Jordan killing him on everything else.

 

[KingTaharqa]

The Celtics had easily the greatest basketball mind during that time, were in a league where there were territorial picks and teams that folded so hall of famers became readily available. Yes Bill Russell was the key to the Celtics winning 11 championships but he was also the benefactor of a lot of great hall of fame teammates and a hall of fame coach/GM.

The same can be said about Mike. He played in a watered down league in the 90's where expansion killed competition and the "great teams" of the 80's. He played alongside HOFers, all stars, sixth men of the year during all his titles. And he only won playing for arguably the greatest coach of all time who has 7 NBA Finals appearances without him. The fact Jordan's "championship pedigree" is tied so strongly to Phil is what sets Russ apart from him. He won titles with 2 different coaches (Auerbach, himself) unlike Mike.