“From the first day I turned up at practice to the last game I played, I quite deliberately cultivated an air of mystery among my teammates. I liked my teammates a great deal, more than I could ever show them then because I believed, as a matter of choice, that, in remaining unseen, who I was or what I did should never be confused. If ever I was taken for granted, as a player or as a person, my effectiveness as a teammate would have been compromised.”

AP
Bill Russell signs a three-year contract to play with the Boston Celtics at a luncheon in Boston on Aug. 25, 1965. Looking on is Celtic President Jack Waldron (r.) and Coach-General Manager Arnold "Red" Auerbach.