Bill Russell and Michael Jordan were the two greatest players to ever play the game.  Russell made everyone play better.  When it comes to winning, no one comes close.  The players closest to these two were Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.  Shaq is right there in the same group.

You have a special relationship with Russell.  There is a great amount of respect and admiration between you.  As a coach, what was your secret to your chemistry?

 
I treated him [Russell] with respect, and I respected him as person.  He knew that I didn’t see people as black or white.  That was never an issue.  If something came up I’d talk to him about it privately.  It would get settled and we’d move on.  Did I treat him differently than the other players on the team?  Yes.  He might not practice as long as the others, but there were many nights when he would play the entire game.  You make a few concessions like that and it goes a long way.

Please tell me about another player for whom you have great respect - John Havlicek.