Bill Russell broke someone's toe on a dunk?

Question

Did Bill Russell really break someone's toe with the basketball on a really hard dunk?

Answer 1

No, Russell didn't, but Wilt Chamberlain did...

Johnny Kerr and Billy Cunningham were interviewed for a book called "Tall Tales" by Terry Pluto, published in the early 1990s... here are their direct quotes from the book.



JOHNNY KERR: Once Wilt got upset with me and dunked the ball so hard that it went through the rim with such force. that it broke my toe as it hit the floor.

BILLY CUNNINGHAM: Johnny was embarrassed to let everyone know that be got a broken toe from one of Wilt’s dunks, so he went down to the other end of the court, acted as if he tripped, grabbed his toe, and went out of the game.


And, in case any morons out there who think Wilt couldn't compete in today's NBA because 'today's players are too strong for him', here are some other comments from that book regarding Wilt's incredible strength:

JOHN HAVLICEK: In my rookie year, Wilt was involved in a pick-and- roll play and suddenly Bill Russell was off Wilt and guarding someone else, and I had Chamberlain. Wilt took me down near the basket and caught a pass. Being the bright kid out of Ohio State I thought I was, a I figured, “No problem. Wilt isn’t a good foul shooter. I’ll grab him”
Well, Wilt didn’t like being held. I reached around from behind and held both of his arms. He wasn’t going to let some rookie stop him, So Wilt took the ball—and me—up. He dunked the ball and I hung there on his arms, both of my feet off the ground and hanging on to Wilt’s arms for dear life until he put me down. Then Wilt -went to the line and made the free throw for the 3-point play.

JOE GUSHUE: Havlicek shouldn’t feel bad. I saw Russell grab Wilt from behind—riding him piggyback—and Wilt still dunked the ball.

BILLY CUNNINGHAM: The greatest play I’ve ever seen was one of the last games of the 1966—67 season and we were playing Baltimore. We were going for the best record in NBA history. There was a play earlier in the game where Gus Johnson had dunked one over Wilt. Gus was a very strong player. I weighed 220 pounds, and with one hand Gus could push me out of the lane. The man was a physical specimen 6-foot-6, 230 pounds all muscle. He loved to dunk and was a very colorful player. When he slammed it on Wilt, he really threw it down, and you could tell that Wilt didn’t like it one bit. Later in the game, Gus was out on the fast break, and the only man between him and the basket was Wilt. He was going to dunk on Wilt— again. Gus cupped the ball and took off—he had a perfect angle for a slam. Wilt went up and with one hand he grabbed the ball—cleanly! Then he took the ball and shoved it right back into Gus, drilling Gus into the floor with the basketball. Gus was flattened and they carried him out. It turned out that Gus Johnson was the only player in NBA history to suffer a dislocated shoulder from a blocked shot.


JOE GUSHUE: I had that game where Wilt dislocated Johnson’s shoulder. To put it in today’s context, Gus Johnson was like Charles Barkley. He was flat on the court, his eyes had that look of, ‘Did what I think just happened really happen?”

BILLY CUNNINGHAM: Luke Jackson was 6-foot-10, 275 pounds and considered one of the strongest men in the NBA. We set up an arm wrestling contest between Luke and Wilt. The first time, it was no contest. Wilt just slammed Luke’s arm down. So Wilt decided to give Luke an advantage. Wilt started with his own arm halfway down, at a 45-degree angle. Wilt said, “Ready?”
Luke grunted.
Then Wilt slammed Luke’s arm to the table.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I wouldn't be surprised. Russell was so much more massive than any of the other players that played in his generation. I'm sure he did some damage in the paint