Were the Boston Celtics able to land Bill Russell all because of an ice-skating show? How did he even fall to number two in the 1956 NBA draft in the first place?

Russell was one of the greatest basketball players in the 50s, and Red Auerbach knew it since he was in college. He led the University Of San Francisco (USF) to back-to-back NCAA championships and won fifty-five consecutive games. He was the best basketball player in college, and he immediately caught the eye of the Harlem Globetrotters. In fact, they even offered him a $50,000 contract to convince him not to play in the NBA.  The only reason Russell balked at the deal was that the owner, Abe Saperstein, refused to talk to him because he was ‘too smart' to speak with him.

In the days leading up to the 1956 NBA draft, the chances of the Celtics landing Russell were slim. They had the second-best overall record the season prior and already used a territorial pick to land Tom Heinsohn. This was a rule from 1949 to 1965 where teams can draft players immediately as long as the player's university was within 50 miles from the team. In exchange, the team would forfeit a first-round pick.

But Auerbach was determined to land Russell by any means necessary. He negotiated a deal with the St. Louis Hawks about trading the number two pick in exchange for Ed Macauley, Cliff Hagan, and the Celtics' 7th overall pick. But before that deal could happen, Auerbach needed a guarantee that Russell would be available at number two.

This is where the ice skating show enters the picture. The Celtics owner at the time, Walter Brown, was president of The Ice Capades. Brown sent Rochester Royals owner Les Harrison an offer that if he agreed not to take Russell number one, he would send the ice show to perform in Rochester for a week. NBA owners then weren't strapped for cash like they are now, so having them perform in your arena for a week was a big deal. Think of it this way, in this era, it would be like having Drake or Beyonce perform every day for a week.

The Royals agreed and ended up picking Sihugo (Si) Green as the number one pick. It's also worth noting that the Royals accepted the trade because they had zero plans on drafting Russell. Maurice Stokes, who just won Rookie of the Year, was already on their team and a promising center. A brain injury in his third season ultimately ended his career. But he was an All-Star in each of his first three seasons.

The St. Louis Hawks got a good return as well. Hagan and Macauley helped the Hawks win the championship two years later and went on to become Hall of Famers. But we can all agree the Celtics won this trade. Russell ended his career with twelve All-Star appearances, eleven championships, and five league MVPs.

Bill Russell Was TRADED For An Ice Skating Show 😱 | Clutch #Shorts – YouTube