Late in 1965, a brand-new member of the Boston Celtics found himself alone and without much interaction with anybody beyond teammates at games and practices.
It was about to put a damper on the holidays for Don Nelson.
Until one of his new teammates decided to befriend him.
“Bill Russell came up to me one day and said, ‘What are your plans for Christmas?’ “ Nelson remembered on Monday. “My family hadn’t made it to Boston, so I told him I had no plans.
“So he invited me over to his house. His kids were there and we had a great time.