Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend

( 14 )

Overview

In the tradition of Tuesdays With Morrie and Big Russ and Me, basketball legend Bill Russell pays homage to his mentor and coach, the inimitable Red Auerbach; it's the story of an unlikely and enduring friendship set against the backdrop of the greatest basketball dynasty in NBA history.

When Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics in 1957 as the nation's first prominent black basketball star, he was not expecting much from coach Red Auerbach. ...
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Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend

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Overview

In the tradition of Tuesdays With Morrie and Big Russ and Me, basketball legend Bill Russell pays homage to his mentor and coach, the inimitable Red Auerbach; it's the story of an unlikely and enduring friendship set against the backdrop of the greatest basketball dynasty in NBA history.

When Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics in 1957 as the nation's first prominent black basketball star, he was not expecting much from coach Red Auerbach. Despite two national college championships and an Olympic gold medal, Russell's previous coaches-all whites-had barely spoken to him. Russell's style was unorthodox, redefining the meaning of defense and offense, and many scouts dismissed him.

Yet Auerbach, the Jewish outsider in Irish Boston, immediately took to Russell, the African American from Louisiana and Oakland, and he was a coach like no other. Auerbach listened to his players, experimented freely, and knit together a team based only on results. Together they made sports history, winning 11 championships in 13 years. Along the way, Auerbach elevated Russell to player-coach, the first African-American coach in league history. Together, they battled prejudice both on and off the court, and created a team chemistry for the ages.

Even this glory is surpassed by another, little known aspect of their relationship: they became lifelong friends. As Russell explains, they were prepared for each other by their fathers, both strong men who loved their sons unconditionally. They both intuitively understood the dynamics of male friendship: there are many things left unsaid, but there is always understanding and respect. Over the many years since Russell retired from the Celticsand moved to the west coast, they saw each other rarely but spoke on the phone regularly. They were always there for each other. As Auerbach fell ill and declined, Russell was there, knowing how to reach out while respecting his former coach's privacy. When Auerbach passed away in October, 2006, Russell refused to speak publicly about a relationship that was so deeply personal. Here, he offers a tribute greater than any speech.

This is a book not just for sports lovers, not just for fathers and sons, but for male friendships of all shapes and sizes.
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Editorial Reviews

Bill Bradley
Bill Russell is a private, complex man, but on the subject of his love of Red Auerbach and his Celtic teammates, he's loud and clear. He might object to my use of the word "love," but deny it though you will, Mr. Russell, that's what sits at the heart of this beautiful book.
—The New York Times
The Barnes & Noble Review
Male relationships can be hard to decipher sometimes, particularly older fellas from a bygone era. In the late '50s and throughout the '60s, Bill Russell led the Celtics to 11 titles in his 13 seasons with the team and broke racial barriers by being part of the first African-American starting five in NBA history as well as the first African-American coach in the league. But it's to his relationship with the Celtics' previous coach, the legendary Red Auerbach, that Russell devotes his third book, Red and Me. It's the story of a small, crusty, unafraid, ribald Jewish guy from Brooklyn somehow connecting with a proud, testy, unapologetic, close-to-the-vest black guy raised in segregated Louisiana and the projects of Oakland. How did they do it? The unspoken code of respect: "Although Red and I never talked about that, we had both experienced it the same way," Russell writes about one experience the pair shared, but this kind of commentary is ubiquitous. They didn't need to say everything -- or sometimes anything -- to each other to know they had each other's back. "That's what friends do for each other," Russell writes elsewhere. "No need to carry it farther than that: That's the way it's supposed to be done." One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is how the pair deal with anti-Semitism and racial hatred, both in Boston and during road trips through the Deep South, where Russell once led his fellow African-American teammates back to the airport when a restaurant wouldn't serve them. Auerbach, of course, had his friend's back at the time. Not that they had to talk about it. --Mark J. Miller
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781616835712
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 5/19/2009
  • Pages: 224
  • Product dimensions: 6.00 (w) x 8.90 (h) x 0.70 (d)

Meet the Author

Five-time NBA MVP and twelve-time All-Star, Bill Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA championships. As a major league coach, Russell won two additional championships—the first African-American to do so. He is considered the father of the modern pro game and one of the most significant Americans of the twentieth century in sports. His three previous books include the national bestseller Russell Rules.

Alan Steinberg is the author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestseller Behind the Mask and Black Profiles in Courage with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

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Table of Contents

Prologue xi

Chapter 1 Common Ground 1

Chapter 2 From Place A to Place B 19

Chapter 3 A Pretty Good Sign 35

Chapter 4 My Father's Son 65

Chapter 5 What's Best for the Team 89

Chapter 6 We All Just Lived It 111

Chapter 7 Boy, What Fun 127

Chapter 8 Godspeed 143

Chapter 9 This Is My Friend 163

Epilogue 175

Acknowledgments 185

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 14 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(7)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

(3)

2 Star

(2)

1 Star

(1)

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Sort by: Showing all of 12 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 7, 2010

    Amazing!!!

    Red and Me is truly amazing. It tells a story of a player and coach but there is much more behind this friendship. Bill Russell is a top basketball player and Red is his coach. The players on the Boston Celtics are mad that Bill can sit in the stands and drink tea, while the team practices. Find out why in the book. Together, they battled prejudice both on and off the court, and created team chemistry for the ages. The friendship didn't just last through the 11 championships in 13 years, it lasted a lifetime. This is a must read.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted June 7, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    Pete Maravich: The Authorized Biography of Pistol Pete

    Bill and Red were very close friends.

    This book sent me a message that friendship is the most important thing in life. Red and Me is about a friendship between NBA legend, Bill Russell and his great coach Red Auerbach. This book was also about the 11 championships that Red and Bill won over their NBA careers.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 17, 2010

    Red and Me by Bill Russell, Alan Steinberg

    True life experience.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted October 19, 2009

    Bill Russell: an inigma

    The book was good so long as Bill was speaking about his own life and the influences people around him had on his development, but his friendship with Red is bizarre. It is too bad we do not have Red's view of this friendship. I am not sure he would agree. I think it was good it was a short book. I kept waiting for something I could relate to but I simply could not relate to why Bill thought Red was such a close friend.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted July 11, 2009

    Bill Russell #6

    Good insight into Bill and Red's relationship

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  • Posted July 4, 2009

    GREAT READ

    I am a big celtic's fan and I really enjoyed his book

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted June 29, 2009

    Don't Waste Your Money!

    Although Russell was quoting his coach, I found the language to be most disturbing. This one went in the trash begore I got to the first chapter!

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  • Posted June 18, 2009

    Freinds.

    Well first off I'de like to say I would have enjoyed more basketball information out of this book. But this book is just as it is, Bill Russell talking about his relationship with Red, which turned into a life long friendship. I just have to say flat out that I found this book very repetitious. Russell states his reasons for the friendship over and ovar, all the same points on almost every other page. Over all I think the book has some fine points, these were two very special men, but this book should be bought in paperback. It's a good story but paperback only kind readers.

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  • Posted May 3, 2009

    more from this reviewer

    Bill Russell and his friendship with Coach Red Auerbach

    For Bill Russell fans, this book will be a must read, but for most others it may fall short in substance. This book is about Bill Russell, his thoughts, feelings, and philosophy of life. This book is about Bill's unique friendship with Red Auerbach. It is not a basketball or sports book.

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 22, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 14, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 29, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

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