HBO periodically does some very cool hoops related stuff - the Manigault
movie, for one - is up now with the
much-talked about Bill Russell documentary.
We've heard good things about it and we suspect it is important for a number
of reasons, first of all because it is an elder speaking, and not just any
elder, but one who mastered this sport like no one else.
Secondly, Bill Russell comes out of a time and place which is largely gone
and forgotten, meaning first of all coming from a legally segregated world, but
secondly, he comes from hard times, and not our definition of hard times. His family history is pretty fascinating as
well, and his intellectual thirst was also something worth mentioning. In
almost every way, he is the rarest of men - he could not be defeated. That
manifested itself on the court mostly, but it was true for the rest of his life
as well.
The debut of the show is tonight. We highly recommend it, particularly to
people who have no real knowledge of what an extraordinary man Bill Russell is.