If there's anyone who could beat out the likes of Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, and Elvin Hayes for the best professional basketball player in the state of Louisiana, it would be none other than Bill Russell. If we're strictly talking about winning, Bill Russell is the greatest basketball of all-time without a doubt. Matter of fact, Russell is tied with professional hockey player, Henri Richard, for the most championship wins by an athlete in North America. Surprisingly, Bill Russell's winning ways didn't start in the NBA.
The 6'10 center from Monroe, Louisiana led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA Championships in 1955 and 1956. That same year, Russell led the Men's US National Basketball team to a gold medal in the 1956 Summer Olympics. Somehow, Russell ended up the second overall pick of the 1956 NBA Draft where he went on to win eleven NBA Championships, win five MVP honors, and be selected for the NBA All-Star team a total of twelve times. What we want to know is... Who doesn't pick the guy who just won back-to-back college championships and a gold medal first in the NBA Draft? Simpletons.