"By the layman’s standards, all of us can shoot" - Bill Russell on why shooting was irrelevant in a player's game

In contrast to Wilt Chamberlain's all-around abilities, Bill Russell 's play style differed significantly. The Boston Celtics legend won 11 championships in 13 seasons, not because of his scoring but because of his exceptional defensive prowess. Renowned for being a fierce shot blocker and dominant rebounder, there weren’t many who could compete with ‘Bill the Hill’ around the rim.

Even if anyone emphasized the necessity of filling his offensive voids and perhaps developing into a shot creator, Russell didn’t pay much heed to it simply because he regarded shooting as less significant than other aspects of the game.

Bill Russell on scoring

Throughout his career, the 12-time All-Star consistently advocated for the importance of defense in basketball. Moreover, during his playing days, he preached the psychology of being a great defensive dynamo in order to make an even greater impact on the game.

"The psychology in defense is not blocking a shot or stealing a pass or getting the ball away. The psychology is to make the offensive team deviate from their normal habits," Russell said . "This is a game of habits, and the player with the most consistent habits is the best. What I try to do on defense is to make the offensive man do not what he wants but what I want."

Given that Russell averaged 15.1 points and 13.4 field goal attempts per contest, he never dedicated himself to refining his shooting skills. The 6’10” center was firm in his belief that this facet of the game was greatly overrated.

"Shooting is of relatively little importance in a player's overall game. Almost all of us in the NBA are All-Americas. We became All-Americas by averaging 20 points or more a game, so by the layman’s standards, all of us can shoot," Russell added. "It's the other phases of the game that make the difference."

Dominating with his defense

Had Russell matched Chamberlain’s scoring ability, the NBA landscape and Celtics’ historical standing could have been vastly different. Yet, it was Bill’s unparalleled defensive prowess that proved to be the difference maker, allowing the C's to manhandle most of them with ease.

According to Russell’s former teammate, Tommy Heinsohn, Bill's defensive tenacity and presence intimidated opponents and demoralized their spirits.

"What Russell really does, is demoralize," Heinsohn said. "The other players are afraid to take their normal shots. Instead, they're looking to see what Russell will do."

While some might discredit Russell’s legacy, citing his inability to match other all-time greats scoring-wise, he maximized his skills and became an NBA icon. Not bad for a guy who somewhat ignored one side of the floor.

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