The Harold Pump Foundation hosted more than 1,000 people at a charity dinner last Thursday. Held in Los Angeles, the event raised more than $1 million for the fight against cancer. The evening was highlighted by Bill Russell and Magic Johnson. Additionally, former Laker and Celtic greats Jerry West, Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Doc Rivers, and Pat Riley all attended the event and mingled with fans. Russell was one of two award recipients. His acceptance speech stole the show, as reported by Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times:
He was introduced by Doc Rivers, the current Celtics coach, who said he didn’t expect to be welcomed back to this dinner next year, meaning he plans to take the title back from the Lakers. Russell was also introduced by Sam Jones, who said the only reason he made the Celtics back then was because he was the only other black player, “and Red Auerbach said Russell needed somebody to talk to.”
John Havlicek, calling Russell the “greatest winner of all-time,” told the story about Russell stepping in front of an angry Wilt Chamberlain, who’d had enough of Auerbach’s taunts, and telling Wilt he’d have to go through him to get to Red. “When Wilt turned away,” Havlicek recounted, “Russ mumbled he was sure glad Wilt hadn’t taken him up on that.”
The old Celtic stood up and quickly defined what it meant to be one.
“I could not go to heaven once I left the Celtic locker room,” Russell said, “because any place outside of that is a step down.”
He said he wanted to make his whole career about winning, and he joked about all these “Greatest Players of All Time” lists he sees.
“I’m always No. 8 or No. 9,” he said, laughing, “and I always want to ask them to take any two of the players above me and I’ll match rings with the pair.”
