No 51 RUSSELL SIMON
6 feet 5 inch (196cm) Forward/Centre
1976 Olympic Games
The Olympian waited in his hometown of Kyneton, Victoria for his turn on the relay team for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He was incredibly proud to be part of the Olympic Relay and to once again feel the adrenalin of the Olympic Games running through his veins. His feelings and memories took him back to another occasion when he was in Montreal in 1996 at the Olympic Games and he and his Australian Basketball team-mates marched in the Opening Ceremony. He was immensely proud on that day and the emotions and feelings were still with him 34 years later.
Russell Simon was born October 17th, 1949 in Carlton, Victoria. At first he was a reluctant participant in basketball. He remembers attending the YMCA in Melbourne when he was 9 years old. A member at the YMCA was trying to get boys to play basketball and he approached Russell’sgroup in a bid to recruit them. Russell recalls, “There were two brothers who had attended three previous basketball training sessions and they showed me what they had learnt. I was a little taller than them at that time and it seemed easy for me to pick up the game.”
He joined the Melbourne YMCA Basketball Club not long after and played in the under 12 competition. Malcolm Anderson,a well know basketball coach in Melbourne, was Russell’s first coach and was a great influence on his early basketball.“Malcolm coached me right through my junior career into seniors when Owen Hughan took over. In my eyes Owen Hughan was a brilliant coach and I would have done anything for him,” remembers Russell.
In 1964 Russell was selected on the Victorian Under 16 team for his first State representative basketball. Victoria defeated NSW in the final of the National Championships 37-34. The next year he was selected to the Victorian Under 18 team which defeated NSW in the National Championships Final 76-73. He was named as Captain of the 1966 Victorian Under 18 team that won the National Championships,defeating NSW 62-51 in the Final. He had joined an elite group of players who while playing for their State had won three consecutive National Championships.
Even though he was only a junior, Russell played senior basketball for Melbourne East Demons in the Victoria Basketball Association (VBA) Championships. At this time a South Eastern Conference (SEC) League was being played between teams from NSW, Victoria and South Australia. This was a successful competition that was in many ways the forerunner of the National Basketball League (NBL) that was to commence in 1979. The SEC was a great competition and youngsters such as Russell got to play against the best players in Australia.
He was soon demonstrating that he could play at this elite level. His left-handed drives to the basket and his athleticism made him a difficult player to guard. Even though he was only 196cms in height he could play centre or forward for his Club or for Victoria.
The 1969 Australian Men’s Championships were held in Launceston, Tasmania. At the conclusion of the Championships Russell was named to the Australian Team to play at the 1970 World Championships in Yugoslavia.
On the way to the 1970 World Championships Russell and the Australian Team played games in the Philippines, Spain and Italy.
At the World Championships in Yugoslavia the Australian Team went through a very trying time. Their preparation was not as good as it could have been, conditions were challenging, the team suffered illnesses and injuries and finished in 12th position. It had however been a great experience for Russell playing against the best in the world.
In 1971 Russell was a member of the Australian Teamthat won the Oceania Olympic Qualification tournament for the 1972 Munich Olympics. Unfortunately Russell was injured prior to the Olympic Games and was not selected on the Australian 1972 Olympic Team.
In the next three years Russell continued to play in the VBA and even though he missed selection on the Australian Team for the 1974 World Championships he was still determined to make his first Olympic team. He also toured with the Melbourne Tigers (twice) and the St Kilda Saints to the USA to play games against the Big Ten Conference College teams.
His dream of Olympic selection then came true. In 1976 he was selected on the Australian Men’s Basketball Team for the Montreal Olympics.“My most memorable moment was representing Australia at the Montreal Olympics. It was an indescribable feeling of pride marching in the Opening Ceremony and playing games in the packed basketball stadium,” he recalls. The Montreal Olympics were a wonderful experience for Russell. He enjoyed every challenge and playing against the best. The Australians secured their best Olympic result to that time when they came 8th in the tournament.
Olympic team-mate Rocky Crosswhite describes Russell. “Russell was a lean and wiry athlete with good spring and speed. He was a great competitor and would never give up no matter what the score. He was always a good team player fitting into whatever role was necessary.”
After the Olympics in 1976, Russell returned to Melbourne and played VBA with St Kilda Saints, before transferring to the Chelsea Basketball Association where he played and won the VBA State championship as a Player-Coach.
By 1980 Russell’s knee injuries, which had plagued him for much of his career, were restricting his basketball and due to the injuries and work commitments he retired from playing basketball.
He did however continue in basketball by coaching junior teams and playing a little social basketball until he retired from all play after the 2009 Sydney World Masters Games.
Russell Simon was typical of his era. Players were amateur. They trained hard while keeping a job, went on basketball tours, played wherever they could and enjoyed the game. His versatility, competitiveness, skills, mobility and team play made him an exceptional player for his Club, State and country.
Russell Simon was inducted into the Nunawading Basketball Club Hall of Fame in 2010.
Russell Simon (9) rebounds in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games watched by Andy Campbell (4), Perry Crosswhite (11) and Tony Barnett (7) (Courtesy of the IOC)
Russell Simon 1976 Olympian (Basketball Australia)