John David "Honey" Russell (May 31, 1902 – November 15, 1973) was an American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player and coach who was inducted into the

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

in 1964. He turned professional after his sophomore year of

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, and for the next 28 years he played for numerous early 20th century pro teams, including many in the American Basketball League. His career included over 3,200 pro games (a number that would take a modern NBA player 30–40 years to equal). He was the first coach of the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

(1946–1948). Russell coached basketball at

Seton Hall University Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan un ...

from 1936 to 1943 and again from 1949 to 1960. His teams won 294 games and lost 137. In 1940 and 1941, Seton Hall ran its winning streak to 43 games, a national record at the time. The 1952–53 team won the

National Invitation Tournament The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...

at Madison Square Garden in New York City. That team won 31 games, including 27 in a row, while only losing 2 games. Russell also was a

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, working for the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

and

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

.Associated Press, November 16, 1973 Of the many players he signed, 23 made it to the major leagues, including the Joe and Frank Torre, Don McMahon, and Earl Williams.

Head coaching record

NCAA

BAA

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Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

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References

External links

*
John Russell
@ basketball-reference.com
Honey Russell
@ ProBasketballEncyclopedia.com 1902 births 1973 deaths American Basketball League (1925–1955) coaches American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Atlanta Braves scouts Basketball coaches from New York (state) Basketball players from New York City Boston Celtics head coaches Chicago Bruins coaches Chicago Bruins players Chicago White Sox scouts Cleveland Rosenblums players College men's basketball head coaches in the United States Manhattan Jaspers men's basketball coaches Milwaukee Braves scouts Montreal Expos scouts Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees New York University alumni Original Celtics players Paterson Crescents players Player-coaches Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball coaches Seton Hall University alumni Sportspeople from Brooklyn Wilkes-Barre Barons players {{US-basketball-coach-stub