RUSSELL, BRADY OR WHOM?

Who’s the greatest winner in sports history?

Team sports?

Individual disciplines?

Competition?

…

A lot to sort out.

To sift through.

Too much, perhaps.

But not to the sports aficionado.

Not even close.

Strap in.

Inarguably, William Felton Russell–Bill Russell–is at the top of the list.

He leads the pack.

Russell piloted the University of San Francisco to 3 Final Fours and 2 National Championships (1955; 1956, including 55 consecutive wins) while averaging north of 20 points and 20 rebounds throughout his collegiate career.

He became known for his strong defense and shot-blocking skills, once rejecting 13 shots in a game.

‘The Wizard of Westwood,’ none other than John Wooden, called Russell, “the greatest defensive man I’ve ever seen.”

[It might be prudent to note that, Wooden himself, as an all-time winner, would be, by most accounts, #2 to Russell.]

At USF, Russell and K.C. Jones pioneered, crafted and honed a feed–a play–that became known as the alley-oop.

After college and an Olympic gold medal in Melbourne (1956), he brought his talents (not to South Beach–thanks LeBron, but) to Boston, where he anchored a Celtics frontline which won 11 titles over a 13-year period (two of which came while Russell was a player/coach).

Never mind that the NBA Finals MVP Award was named after Russell in 2009.

What took so long?

The cherry atop his winning pedigree was the Presidential Medal of Freedom honor bestowed upon him by Barack Obama, celebrating his Civil Rights activism.

Russell is 88 years old.

John Robert Wooden died at 99.

He won 10 NCAA championships in 12 years as the head coach of the UCLA Bruins.

As a player, a 5’10” Purdue guard way back when (1929–1932), Wooden was the very first player to be named a college All-American three times.

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player (1960) and as a coach (1973).

He won.

And he won right.

‘The Wizard’ was the first person ever enshrined in both categories.

Lenny Wilkens (1998); Bill Sharman (2004); Tommy Heinsohn (2014); and Russell (2021) are the only others.

So far.

Serious winners.

What about the others?

Jordan?

Lombardi?

Red?

As an individual, a mano-a mano-performer, what about Sugar Ray Robinson?

His amateur record was 85–0, with 69 knockouts.

Turning professional at 19, he recorded a 128–1–2 sheet over the next 11 years.

He finished his boxing career this way: 173–19–6; 108 knockouts.

I’d rather not discuss in any detail the “Zen Master,” none other than Phil Jackson, who won 11 NBA championships as a head coach over a 20-year period.

Most rings as a head coach in American sports history.

Yogi Berra won 13 World Series as a player and a coach for the Yankees and the Mets.

(None as a manager, but what can you do?)

Kareem?

Bear Bryant?

Gretzky?

Nicklaus?

Joe DiMaggio?

Herm Edwards got it right.

“You play to win the game.”

A competitive person of any stripe would understand.

Pat Summitt?

The Montreal Canadiens’ Richard brothers?

They won the Stanley Cup a combined 19 times.

Both Hall-of-Famers, it is cool to note that younger brother Henri– “The Pocket Rocket” — is the only athlete in sports history to retire with more championships than birthdays.

(He was born on February 29).

Federer?

Montana?

Lance Armstrong?

Magic?

Mantle?

Navratilova?

Jeter?

Geno?

Knute Rockne?

Pippen?

Wherefore art thou, Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr.?

The G.O.A.T.

THE GOAT.

Indisputable.

But let’s focus on this, shall we?

He is a junior to his father.

And also, to Bill Russell.

[Editor’s Note: This piece was written by Mr. Kaplan in April 2022.]