Academy Award-nominated director Sam Pollard directed the two-part film Bill Russell: Legend, releasing on Netflix on February 8th.
The film will offer viewers and fans an in-depth understanding of Russell’s impact on and off the court. Pollard’s documentary provides a wide scoop view of Russell’s basketball career and his activism, shown through a variety of photos and videos. Bill Russell: Legend features Russell’s last interview before his passing in 2022, as well as a wide variety of NBA stars such as Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Paul, and Steph Curry. The film flows through narrations told by actors Corey Stoll and Jeffrey Wright, who serves as Russell’s voice as they read excerpts from his memoirs Second Wind and Go Up for Glory.
The documentary details important moments in Russell’s life, such as his 13 years with the Boston Celtics, winning 11 championships, two back-to-back NCAA titles, and a gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. His impact went behind his remarkable abilities on the court but was also shown through his activism and courage to fight for equality. Russell made his presence known while fighting for human rights, such as sitting in the front row at Dr. King’s I Have a Dream Speech, risking his life to travel to Mississippi after the murder of Medgar Evers, and joining other athletes to support Muhammad Ali’s conscientious objection to the Vietnam War as part of the Cleveland Summit of 1967.
The Knockturnal spoke with Pollard about the two-part documentary Bill Russell: Legend and what he hopes viewers will take away from it. He also discusses what Russell’s life story has taught him and some of the challenges he faced while creating the film.