He was a block specialist. He never blocked a shot to show off. He would block it to a teammate to start a fast break. A true legendary center that many other future Hall of Famers would pattern their games after.
Only non-Celtic who can compare to that is Lew Alcindor (I think). Alcindor was so good that the game was almost unfair to (mortal) opponents. Only two losses in College:
1) When he scratched his cornea vs Houston. Led to him later wearing the goggles.
2) Versus rival USC, Trojans held the ball out in delay to win a close game. Played b4 shot clock.
Bill Russell side note (pun intended) that I found interesting ...
Singer Johnny Mathis (SF St) and Bill Russell (USF) had a rivalry as college high jumpers in track and field.
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Standing just 5 feet 7, Johnny Mathis was one of the best high jumpers in the state in the 1950s. He set local high school records at Washington High, and as a San Francisco State University student leaped 6 feet 5½ inches at a 1955 conference meet in Reno, beating his 7-foot-tall rival — future NBA legend Bill Russell.
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Something that they would joke about later in life.
Bill Russell side note (pun intended) that I found interesting ...
Singer Johnny Mathis (SF St) and Bill Russell (USF) had a rivalry as college high jumpers in track and field.
------------
Standing just 5 feet 7, Johnny Mathis was one of the best high jumpers in the state in the 1950s. He set local high school records at Washington High, and as a San Francisco State University student leaped 6 feet 5½ inches at a 1955 conference meet in Reno, beating his 7-foot-tall rival — future NBA legend Bill Russell.
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Something that they would joke about later in life.
Ridiculous for any league to retire someone's number, no one is bigger than the game.
INdeed no one is bigger than the game and no one should have the authority to say this player was more important. If you're going to retire # on account of being a good person then Mutumbo should have his retired ...greatest humanitarian that ever set foot in the NBA and I don't mean campaigning for the rights of his own kind.