The history of the US civil rights movement cannot be told without the inclusion of Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Bill Russell, and it also can’t be told without bringing up the FBI. The Bureau was infamous for monitoring the activities of activists and organizers in that critical stretch of US history, a practice that has continued with the monitoring of Black Lives Matter and other organizations.
Now, the Boston Herald’s Joe Dwinell has revealed that Bill Russell was himself monitored by the FBI after a successful Freedom of Information Act request, a fact that should not surprise much given the history pointed to above.
But one jarring in the present nonetheless given Russell’s stature in the NBA community and as a fighter for social justice over the course of his life.
A school, a park, and a home in Oakland California helped create a hotbed for Black excellence central to the Celtics’ success. https://t.co/0w5jb9qcrK
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 22, 2023
“Newly released FBI documents show Celtics legend Bill Russell was being shadowed by the feds for possible ties to the Black Panthers and allegedly gambling on hoop games,” writes Dwinell.
“He was also interviewed by the FBI after a ‘threat was made against his life’ and the State Department allowed the FBI to review Russell’s passport.”
News of the FBI investigations against his former teammate irked fellow Boston legend Bob Cousy, who spoke to the Herald about the revelation.
Long before he ever won an NBA title with the Boston Celtics, Leon Powe found inspiration in another connection to the Celtics organization. https://t.co/2uxn6L6XWM
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 23, 2023
“Rus was a Black activist and that gets people’s attention. Also when you win all those championships, it gets attention,” explained Cousy.
“He was part of the most significant team in American history … I have no idea why the FBI was around. It’s a surprise to me.”
There were evidently internal concerns with the FBI that Russell might be involved with the Black Panther party — who also hail from Oakland, California, where Russell went to high school — “or other black extremist or militant activities.”
Silas was born in Boston when his father played for the team. https://t.co/dDiqRPz5Zu
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 28, 2023
The same memo suggested Russell had “been in touch with (Black Panthers) leader Huey Newton” with the intent to meet exiled Black Panther party member Eldridge Cleaver abroad in Algeria, perhaps to return with some sort of media from the Black Panthers to an indeterminate end.
Russell also received attention for his unwillingness to sign autographs for white children ” in an abusive way.”
The FBI also concluded that Russell “could not be considered a radical nor did he know of any radical organization in which he was a member” despite an extensive investigation reaching back to his time living in Louisana as a child, and even tried to find grounds to prosecute Russell for legal gambling.
This is every player in Boston’s history who wore the Celtics’ No. 6 jersey for at least one game as of September 2022. https://t.co/912NSRTNQi
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 26, 2023
The parallels with how the Bureau collects information on Black activists today is notable, and the cache of documents obtained by the Herald may not be the only such memos that exist.
Silas was instrumental in overtime of Game 5 to the 1976 title, but an easy mistake at the end of regulation could have been devastating. https://t.co/7W1en6v1zD
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 27, 2023
The newspaper plans to continue such investigations in the future.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
