Honey Russell

John David "Honey" Russell


Born:
May 31, 1902
Brooklyn, NY

Died:
November 15, 1973
Livingston, NJ


Career
1920-21 Plymouth Shawnees (PSL)
1920-21 Easthampton Hampers (IL)
1921-22 Brooklyn Pros (MBL)
1921-22 Mohawk Indians (NYSL)
1921-22 Albany Senators (NYSL)
1921-22 Easthampton Hampers (IL)
1922-23 Brooklyn Pros (MBL)
1922-23 Albany Senators (NYSL)
1922-23 Northampton Hampers (IL)
1923-24 Yonkers Leaguers (MBL)
1923-24 Cleveland Rosenblooms (Independent)
1924-25 Cleveland Rosenblooms (Independent)
1924-25 NY Original Celtics (Independent)
1925-26 Cleveland Rosenblums (ABL)
1925-26 Lou Gehrig All Stars (Independent)
1926-27 Cleveland Rosenblums (ABL)
1926-27 Chicago Bruins (ABL)
1927-28 Chicago Bruins (ABL) Head coach / player
1928-29 Chicago Chicago Bruins (ABL) Head coach / player
1928-29 Rochester Centrals (ABL)
1929-30 Chicago Bruins (ABL) Head coach / player
1930-31 Paterson Crescents (ABL)
1930-31 Bridgeton Moose (TSL)
1930-31 Carbondale (PSL)
1931-32 Bridgeton (EBL)
1931-32 Brooklyn Americans (Independent)
1932-33 Trenton Bengals (EBL)
1932-33 Brooklyn Americans (MBL)
1932-33 Brooklyn Jewels (MBL)
1932-33 Dunmore (PSL)
1933-34 Trenton Moose (ABL)
1933-34 Dunmore (PSL)
1934-35 Newark/New Britain Mules (ABL) Head coach / player
1934-35 Nanticoke (PSL)
1934-35 Freeland (PSL)
1934-35 Albany (NYSL) Head coach / player
1935-36 New York Jewels (ABL)
1935-36 Freeland (PSL)
1936-37 New York Jewels (ABL) Head coach / player
1936-37 Hazleton (PSL)
1936-37 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1937-38 New York Jewels (ABL)
1937-38 Allentown (TCL)
1937-38 Wilkes-Barre (NYPA)
1937-38 New York Hokoahs (Independent)
1937-38 New York Kate Smith Celtics (ABL) Head coach
1937-38 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1938-39 New York Jewels (ABL)
1938-39 Allentown-Hamburg (TCL)
1938-39 Tunkhannock (NYPA)
1938-39 New York Yankees (Independent)
1938-39 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1939-40 Wilkes-Barre Barons (ABL) Head coach / player
1939-40 Hamburg (TCL)
1939-40 New York Yankees (Independent)
1939-40 Washington Brewers (Indepedent)
1939-40 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1940-41 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1941-42 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1942-43 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1942-43 Wilmington Clippers (Indepedent)
1942-43 Camden / Brooklyn Indians (ABL) Head coach / player
1943-44 Brooklyn Indians (ABL) Head coach / player
1944-45 New York Westchesters (ABL) Head coach / player
1944-45 Jersey Reds (Independent)
1945-46 Trenton (ABL) Head coach
1946-47 Boston Celtics (BAA) Head coach
1947-48 Boston Celtics (BAA) Head coach
1948-49 Schenectady Packers (NYSL) Head coach
1949-50 Schenectady Packers (ABL) Head coach
1949-50 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1950-51 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1951-52 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1952-53 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1953-54 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1954-55 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1955-56 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1956-57 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1957-58 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1958-59 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach
1959-60 Seton Hall University (College) Head coach


NATIONAL BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, 1964

Russell was a long time basketball player and then coach. Playing at some point in almost every league in the East, he found himself in the ABL with Cleveland in 1925, and in a couple years later after joining the Chicago Bruins, became the head coach as well as a player. Hopping to various outfits, he took the head coaching job at Seton Hall in 1936, and in the next few seasons would lead the school to prominence, including a record 41-game winning streak in 1941. The school disbanded its athletic program during World War 2, and Russell became the first coach of the Boston Celtics in the new BAA. He returned to Seton Hall when the school brought the program back, and he stayed there until 1960. He would work for many years as a baseball scout, finding players like Joe Torre.

Honey was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1964, and died following a short illness in 1973.

He and his wife, Charlotte, had two daughters and one son.

Source:


Stats:
http://probasketballencyclopedia.com/player/Honey-Russell/