John “Honey” Russell Inducted in 2006

John "Honey" Russell (May 31, 1902 – November 15, 1973) a Brooklyn native,  a player and coach. He played professionally after his sophomore year of high school, and for the next 28 years, he played for numerous early 20th-century pro teams, including many in the American Basketball League. His career included over 3,200 pro games (a number that would take a modern NBA player 30–40 years to equal). He was the first coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics (1946–1948). Russell coached basketball at Seton Hall University from 1936 to 1943 and again from 1949 to 1960. Russell was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1964.