On this day in 1956, Boston Celtics legendary big man Bill Russell played his very first game of his storied career with the team, a 95 – 93 win over the (then) St. Louis Hawks at the team’s home arena of the original Boston Garden.
It was the start to a career that would see the Celtics win 11 titles, five Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards, 12 All-Star bids and as many All-League honors among countless other accolades, including induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. But before all of that happened, Russell played 21 minutes in this contest against the Hawks, scoring 6 points and pulling down 16 rebounds and logging a single assist.
