Very few people today realize that back when Red Auerbach and the Boston Celtics drafted Bill Russell, that they did it sight unseen. College games weren't on TV. NBA staffs didn't have a bevy of scouts. A lot of it went on word of mouth. So while Red had heard of Russell's great defensive ability he wasn't sure of his offensive skills. It didn't matter to Red because it was defense and rebounding that he was looking for in a center. Russell was just a little worried about his offensive ability as well and below is an exchange between the two when Russell was a rookie in which Red framed to Russell what he was looking for -- to win:When I suited up on Sunday, I was a little nervous -- I had a lot on my mind, which, of course, I kept to myself. But maybe it showed, at least to Red. When we stared down the corridor to the arena, where I was about to be introduced, for the first time in uniform, to my new teammates, Red said to me, "I heard you can't shoot. You worried about shooting?"
I said, "Not much. But it's been on my mind."
He said, "Well, tell you what. Let's make a deal today, right now. When we talk contract down the line, I will never discuss statistics. All I'll discuss is if we won and how you played. That's all I care about. Don't worry about being a big scorer -- I don't give a damn about that. All I want you to do is what you've always done. Play your game. And I won't tell you how to do that. Just play the way you know how."
From "Red and Me," by Bill Russell and Alan Steinberg
