THE PHONE CALL came five years before Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell put a trove of personal memorabilia up for auction. David Hunt, president of Hunt Auctions, was asked what some of the items in Russell's teeming trophy case were worth and whether he could appraise them.
Russell, 88, boasts one of the most unimpeachable resumes in professional sports history. He is a two-time NCAA champion, an Olympic gold medalist, winner of 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach.