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Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend Kindle Edition

by Bill Russell (Author), Alan Steinberg (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 272 ratings

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New York Times Bestseller

"On the subject of his love of Red Auerbach and his Celtic teammates, Russell is 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." — Bill Bradley, New York Times Book Review

In Red and Me, Boston Celtics basketball legend Bill Russell pays homage to his mentor and coach, the inimitable Red Auerbach. A poignant remembrance of a life-altering relationship in the tradition of Big Russ and Me and Tuesdays With Morrie, Red and Me tells an unforgettable story of one unlikely and enduring friendship set against the backdrop of the greatest basketball dynasty in NBA history.

Red Auerbach was one of the greatest basketball coaches in sports history. Bill Russell was the star center and five-time MVP for Auerbach's Celtics, and together they won eleven championships in thirteen years. But Auerbach and Russell were far more than just coach and player. A short, brash Jew from Brooklyn and a tall, intense African-American from Louisiana and Oakland, the men formed a friendship that evolved into a rare, telling example of deep male camaraderie even as their feelings remained largely unspoken.

Red and Me is an extraordinary book: an homage to a peerless coach, which shows how he produced results unlike any other, and an inspiring story of mutual success, in which each man gave his all and gained back even more. Above all, it may be the most honest and heartfelt depiction of male friendship ever captured in print.

Print length

226 pages
Language

English
Sticky notes

On Kindle Scribe
Publisher

HarperCollins e-books
Publication date

April 25, 2009
File size

1733 KB
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

First, let’s get the basketball credentials out of the way. Russell was the greatest team basketball player ever; his Boston Celtics won championships in 11 of his 13 years. Arnold Jacob “Red” Auerbach was the Celtics coach for the first 10 years of Russell’s career and later, as the general manager, assembled five more championship teams after Russell retired. Russell retraces the path of their lifelong friendship as it evolved from player-coach to professional equals to good friends. The relationship was always grounded in respect. Auerbach never tried to alter Russell’s then-revolutionary basketball style, nor did he ever interfere with or critique Russell’s involvement in the civil-rights movement. Auerbach’s Jewish heritage exposed him to some of the same prejudices Russell experienced in segregated Boston, though they never compared notes. Auerbach cultivated a public persona associated with words like gruff or curmudgeon that are partially accurate but woefully incomplete. He was extraordinarily intelligent, fearless, and sensitive to what would bring out the best in those around him. Russell understands these characteristics and has produced a moving tribute to his friend and, in a larger sense, to friendship. --Wes Lukowsky

Review

"On the subject of his love of Red Auerbach and his Celtic teammates, Russell is 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." — Bill Bradley, New York Times Book Review

“Bill Russell was the greatest team basketball player ever….[He] has produced a moving tribute to his friend and, in a larger sense, to friendship.” — Booklist

From the Back Cover

Red Auerbach, one of the greatest coaches in sports history, died on October 28, 2006. Bill Russell, the five-time MVP and star center on the Auerbach teams that won eleven championships in thirteen years, said little in public at the time. His relationship with his coach had been so deeply personal that he could not express it with a brief comment.

In fact, little known to the public, Auerbach and Russell—one a short, brash Jew from Brooklyn, the other a tall, intense African-American from Louisiana and Oakland—were far more than just coach and player. Through thirteen years of building a sports dynasty together, one that remains among the greatest of all time, their relationship evolved into a rare, telling example of deep male friendship: confident, supportive, understanding, founded in common goals, even as their feelings remained largely unspoken. They stayed close for the rest of Auerbach's life, despite physical distance and far fewer chances to be together. True male friends are always there for each other, whenever the need or occasion arises.

Red and Me is an extraordinary book: an homage to a peerless coach, showing how he produced results unlike any other; an inspiring story of mutual success, in which each man gave his all, and gained back even more; above all, it may be the best depiction of male friendship ever put on the page. Who would have guessed that such different men could have become such a tightly bonded pair? Few did guess it. Now Russell tells it.

About 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.

From AudioFile

Basketball star Bill Russell and Alan Steinberg team up to tell the story of Russell's professional relationship and friendship with his coach, Red Auerbach. Russell's first-person perspective of this unlikely relationship will not only provide the listener with a glimpse of the social climate of the 1950s and '60s, but also with a lesson in how two people who come from distinctly separate backgrounds can be alike in many ways. Peter Jay Fernandez effectively utilizes his smooth-as-glass voice to provide listeners with an experience that they surely will not forget anytime soon. Fernandez's eloquent delivery will have listeners savoring every syllable of this audiobook. J.P.D © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0027KRRRK
Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins e-books; Reprint edition (April 25, 2009)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 25, 2009
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1733 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 226 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #173,911 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #9 in Soccer Biographies (Kindle Store)
- #27 in Basketball Biographies (Kindle Store)
- #59 in Soccer Biographies (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 272 ratings

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4.6 out of 5

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Kug

A must read! The insights into friendship are priceless

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2009

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A friend of mine told me about this book coming out. I've read the other books by Red and Russell and found them to be good to great. So this one intrigued me but I thought 'what could be different?'

Well, lots is different. Yes it is about relationship and just a little about basketball. But what it is really about is friendship, a unique friendship. Russell starts by doing an excellent job of taking you inside the upbringing of a young black kid in the rural south. Raised by a family and an extended family that cared and taught him valuable lessons that he was able to take with him.

What he does best is tells us this story without bitching. It is almost like he is detatched. The message comes acrossed powerfully without him having to tell you. It was a tough life. His Mother, who he adored, died when he was 12. His father left the family, with the support of his Mother, to work in Detroit and support the family back in Louisiana.

Its quite a journey for an untrusting soul at the time like Russell to end up in Boston befriended mutually with a Jew in Red. Loved the book and the powerful message of where he came from and where he journeyed to and the struggles in between. Well worth reading for the learnings you can glean from this unique friendship.

Excellently written.

7 people found this helpful

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Rick Spell

A Wise Man with a Unique Story

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2009

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I originally had mixed emotions about this book and would have rated it lower if i had written the review prior to the excellent ending. In summation, this is a very short, fast read where Bill Russell describes his unique relationship and total understanding between two friends who can be so close while communicating so little. But this book needs a better set-up than a book of friendship and Russell supplies that here. He describes his history as a black man and traces his influence to his widowed father who raised him with the ultimate in high standards of integrity. But remember this is also a black player entering sports shortly after Jackie Robinson. Russell had had poor relationships with previous coaches and had been subjected to 1950s racism such as being unable to dine or sleep with the white members of the team in the south. Not mentioned in great detail are the stories of racism when Bill Russell bought a home in Boston and the racism he faced. There is quite a humorous story of trash can noise which police said was racoon caused. Then Russell requested a gun permit. End of noise.

But to complete the back story for this book you must know that in addition to be an exceptional athlete, Russell was an incredibly intelligent and private man who even refused autographs to his teammates for their family. With this background Russell describes how he expected another poor relationship with his coach only to find in Red Auerbach a Jewish man who also had suffered racism and was solely focused on winning and treating his players well. Once he knew what was important to Russell, he treated him as an accomplice, always asking his opinion and never disrespecting him.

Throughout the book Russell describes the deepening relationships with examples of their unique friendship which in many cases are quite minor and not worthy of a book. BUT, at the end of the book Russell eloquently ties this altogether as he talks of his friends death, their intertwined family, and why the most private man I know would take the time to write a book of arguably the second most important relationship of his life, with his coach and friend, Red Auerbach. This book will appeal to Boston fans, sports fans in general and people interested in interpersonal relationships with only a passing interest in sports.

NOTE: While I mentioned racism more than once as it affects the back story of this book, it is not a focus of this book whatsoever other than some early stories in the 50s describing how it impacted parts of their relationship. Please do not let this turn you off this book.

14 people found this helpful

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MC

The anatomy of a friendship

Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2009

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An inspiring book that explores the anatomy of a friendship. Red Auerbach was the Coach/GM of the Boston Celtics, and Bill Russell their star center. Together these two men won 11 NBA championships, but more than that they formed a unique and meaningful bond that lasted until Red's death on October 28th 2006.
In Red and Me, Russell illuminates the qualities that each brought to the relationship, and gives examples of how these qualities allowed them to work together so well. Along the way Russell explains his philosophy of friendship and offers some amazing autobiographical anecdotes.

Red and Me is much more than just a Basketball book, it is both a fitting tribute to Red, and a reminder to the rest of us to value the special relationships in our own lives. Recommend this book to a friend, and let them know that you're thinking about them :)

4 people found this helpful

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D. Buxman

A Unique Exploration of What it Means to Be a Friend

Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2009

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This is a story about the development of a friendship between two men from very different backgrounds. Bill Russell and Red Auerbach weren't known as sentimental humanitarians. Both were hard men, who grew up in difficult times and tough circumstances. Over the years of their professional association, however, a strong bond developed that was understated, yet extremely powerful. This book explores that relationship and demonstrates that there is more to friendship than never-ending self-disclosure. This is an extremely well-written and engaging book that centers around the power of loyalty, honor and efforts to understand each other in the context of a relationship. It is a story about the power of love between friends that isn't based on hugs or saying, "I love you," but is rather based upon personal integrity and mutual respect. If you like basketball, this book has very interesting stories about the development of the NBA, but I found the life lessons to be even more compelling.

5 people found this helpful

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Anonymous

Beautiful and inspiring

Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2009

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I LOVED this book. My boyfriend is a lifelong Celtics fan so I bought it for him, but decided to read it before giving it to him. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. It's easy reading, and pure delight. It's so rare to see athletes and celebrities with the kind of integrity and character displayed by both Russell and Auerbach, and it's unlikely they'll be a pairing quite like them again. This is a not just an inspiration for sports fans, but for anyone who appreciates the true meaning of team work, friendship, commitment, and respect. It's also filled with wonderful anecdotes - often humorous, touching, and educational. If you know a Celtics fan, this makes a priceless gift.

4 people found this helpful

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Prasad Robert Hutter

Great

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2022

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This is a fantastic book about life and friendship. So many wise words coming from a wise man about another wise friend.

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julian brown

Four Stars

Reviewed in Canada on April 6, 2018

Verified Purchase

lovely book. a meditation on the subject of friendship.

Michael Embaye

Hoppers delight

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 1, 2019

Verified Purchase

Great read! A must for all hoop heads.

Kamedanoarare

いい感じ

Reviewed in Japan on August 28, 2010

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四つ打ち主体のSoul、JazzFunk的作品が多い。
Beatdown系人脈も参加しており、それっぽい雰囲気はある。
しかし、detorit本家のようなDeepでMadな雰囲気はあまりなく、聞きやすくしあげている。
Gillesが絶賛とか、moodymannプレイとかなんとか修飾されがちなアーチストだが、割りとオーソドックスなDeepHouse。
自らNewJazzとか言っちゃって薄っぺらい音を垂れ流しているどこぞの国の恥ずかしい馬鹿どもよりは、音楽への真摯な愛を感じるね。

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