The Role Of Sports In The 1960's

Herb Brooks once said, “You were born to be a player. You were meant to be here. This moment is yours.” Australia is considered to be a ‘sports mad’ country, this country excelled in international sports throughout most of the 1960s, and local participation rates were high. Sports in the 1960’s had a strong effect on society. There were only so many teams for leagues, and different sports were bigger back then, then they are now. There were some very important and outstanding players then that don’t stand out to us now. Pro Basketball in the 1960’s wasn’t as big as it is now. The league only consisted of a couple teams and there were only a few important players. For example, “In the 1960’s pro basketball only had 8 pro teams including …show more content…
For example, “Bill Russell was the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics' dynasty of the 1960s, an uncanny shotblocker who revolutionized NBA defensive concepts. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 12-time All-Star, an average of 22.5 per game and led the league in rebounding four times” (NBA Encyclopedia Playoff Edition). Bill Russell was the best defender for the Boston Celtics. He had incredible stats throughout his career and had multiple outstanding seasons. Also, “With Russell anchoring the middle of the floor, the Celtics finished with the best record in the league in 1957, and went on to win the title over the Hawks in a tense seven-game series. It was the start of an unprecedented championship run for Russell and the Celtics. Over 12 years, the team played in 11 NBA finals, winning 10 of them” (Bill Russell Biography). Russell was a defensive and rebounding force. Five times he was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, and his 21,620 rebounds are second only to Chamberlain’s career mark. Bill made a huge impact on the Boston Celtics and he was a major part of their team in the 1960s. Boston Celtics have grown greatly because of the incredible player Bill