At McClymonds High School in Oakland, Russell became a starter on the basketball team as a senior, already emphasizing defense and rebounding. Former University of San Francisco basketball player Hal DeJulio, who scouted his alma mater, recognized Russell’s potential and recommended him to coach Phil Woolpert.
Russell received a scholarship and became an All-American, teaming with guard KC Jones, a future Celtic teammate, to lead San Francisco to NCAA championships in his final two seasons. After a loss to UCLA in Russell’s junior year, the team went on a 55-game winning streak. He averaged over 20 points and 20 rebounds per game in his three college seasons.
“No one had ever played basketball like me, or as well,” Russell told Sport magazine in 1963, recalling his college career. “They’ve never seen anyone block shots before. Now I’m going to brag: I like to think I originated a whole new style of play.”
In the mid-1950s, the Celtics had a very talented team with Bob Cousy, the biggest little man in the league, and point guard Bill Sharman at guard and Ed Macauley, a sharpshooter, at forward. But lacking a dominant center, they had never won a championship.
The Rochester Royals owned the No. 1 pick in the 1956 NBA draft, but they already had a standout big man, Maurice Stokes, and were unwilling to make what owner Les Harrison believed would be a bidding war for Russell with the Harlems. Globetrotters, who were reportedly willing to offer him a lucrative deal. So the Royals drafted Sihugo Green, a guard from Duquesne.
The St. Louis Hawks had the second pick in the draft, but they didn’t think they could afford Russell either. Auerbach convinced them to trade that pick to the Celtics for Macauley, a native of St. Louis, and Cliff Hagan, a promising rookie. This allowed Boston to take Russell.