OT: RIP Bill Russell

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maoling
Posts: 2088
Joined: Thu May 02, 2019 12:57 am
Location: Jerkland, Washington

OT: RIP Bill Russell

Post by maoling » Sun Jul 31, 2022 8:56 pm

I am going to miss Big Bill. He lived next door to my best gal pal on Mercer Island when we were teenagers, and was about the nicest and coolest guy I've ever met.

The first time I met him, I was hitchhiking on MI to go register for classes at the high school around 1974 or so. Grey Maserati* or whatever it was pulls over hard to the side of the road and I jump in. I shut the car door and look over and a giant black man was stuffed into the driver's seat! I was gobsmacked and he could tell. I almost peed.

"Are-Are-Are you BILL RUSSELL???!!"

He laughed and goes, "I won't tell anybody if you won't!! Hee-Hee-Hee!" Flashed that great grin!

Biggest friendliest smile I've ever seen. It was only about a five minute lift, but he asked me where I was going, what subjects I liked, just chatted me up the whole time, then pulled over, shook my hand and told me to study hard and be good. I felt like I'd just met God or something lol. He was much nicer to me than Wilt Chamberlain was when I met him -- after chasing him down in SF lol.

Rest in Peace, Bill. You were the greatest in my book, and not just because of basketball.

* I saw that a guy who worked at the ARCO on MI where Bill filled up his many cars said it was a Lamborghini 400GT, but he didn't mention the model or year. If so, it was the only time I've ever ridden in one lol.



https://www.nba.com/news/nba-legend-bil ... dies-at-88

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ddraig
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Re: OT: RIP Bill Russell

Post by ddraig » Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:00 pm

About 1976, my buddies and I decided to go up to the Mirabeau Restaurant for a drink in the bar. When we got there, we were told we couldn't go in because we were all wearing jeans. Restaurant rules, of course. Dead center at the bar was Bill Russel...wearing jeans. I guess if you were 6 foot 9 inches and had a "few" championship rings on your hands. it may have had something to do with the exception in his case! RIP, Bill.

And now: Nichelle Nichols, the actor who became a Star Trek legend and broke ground for Black women on screen with her portrayal of Lt. Nyota Uhura, has died. She was 89.

maoling
Posts: 2088
Joined: Thu May 02, 2019 12:57 am
Location: Jerkland, Washington

Re: OT: RIP Bill Russell

Post by maoling » Mon Aug 01, 2022 3:37 pm

ddraig wrote:
Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:00 pm
About 1976, my buddies and I decided to go up to the Mirabeau Restaurant for a drink in the bar. When we got there, we were told we couldn't go in because we were all wearing jeans. Restaurant rules, of course. Dead center at the bar was Bill Russel...wearing jeans. I guess if you were 6 foot 9 inches and had a "few" championship rings on your hands. it may have had something to do with the exception in his case! RIP, Bill.

And now: Nichelle Nichols, the actor who became a Star Trek legend and broke ground for Black women on screen with her portrayal of Lt. Nyota Uhura, has died. She was 89.
RIP Uhura, what a babe she was.

Do you remember Henry's off Broadway restaurant on Capitol Hill? I was part of the original crew hired when it opened in 1977. I wasn't 21, so I couldn't serve alcohol, but I worked in the bar as a bar back, set-up, server, busser, and also did prep in the kitchen, sometimes valet, everything really. Worked there a few years on breaks from school and summers...it was Sonics City at that place, but Russell never came in.

JJ was in a lot, Marvin Webster, Dennis Awtrey, Sikma, DJ sometimes, LaGarde, Lonnie Shelton -- and Freddie Brown was there all the time lol. Freddie would come in after practice and I swear to God, I think he just put a suit on over his jersey without showering when he came in.

We Called him Stinky Freddie. :lol:

Another Russell story about his oldest son, whom we knew as Buddha, who passed away a few years ago. Mercer Island always had a good basketball team, and were coached by the legendary Ed Pepple, a fixture at MI for over 40 years. Coach Pepple was a stickler for his rules, the players all had to get haircuts, arrive at away games in suits, no drinking or smoking...on and on.

One night Coach P was at a Sonics' game when Big Bill was coaching them. Eddie walked into the Men's Room at the game and saw Buddha sneaking a smoke in the bathroom lol, and right there and then booted him off the team. For good. No suspension, no warning, nothing. Just flushed the guy. And Big Bill didn't raise a stink about it,as many parents might have done, especially one who had as much sway in town as he did. He was such an honorable guy, he let Buddha take his lumps.

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