By Brandon Zhu
In 1960, Celtics center Bill Russell powered through a charley horse to grab a career best 51 rebounds in a 124-100 win against the Syracuse Nationals. Incredibly, Russell also contributed 23 points and 5 assists in the same game. The 51 rebounds was an NBA record at the time, until it was surpassed by Wilt Chamberlain’s 55 rebound game against the Celtics only a few months later. Regardless, Russell is an NBA legend known for his defensive abilities and shot-blocking. The 3rd pick in the 1956 NBA Draft, Russell played 13 seasons and won eleven NBA Finals. Russell averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and an estimated 8 blocks per game throughout his career. Twenty-three times in his career, Russell had 38 or more rebounds in a game. Russell’s other accolades include 11x All-NBA Team selections, 4x NBA rebounding champion, 5x NBA MVP, and 12x NBA All-Star. Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 and his no. 6 was retired by the Boston Celtics.