the last book I ever read (King of the Court: Bill Russell and the Basketball Revolution, excerpt fifteen)

from King of the Court: Bill Russell and the Basketball Revolution by Aram Goudsouzian:

When Russell left Boston, he sought freedom. He packed one suitcase into his Lamborghini. He rented a small, furnished apartment on Wilshire Boulevard. He wore sneakers or sandals, jeans or shorts, ratty shirts and dark glasses. He walked down the street, and no one asked for autographs. He dabbled with vegetarianism, though his self-discipline occasionally cracked and he gobbled down four steaks. Other athletes considered retirement a type of death, but not Russell. He defined himself beyond sports, and the NBA involved fetters of competition, contracts, and public expectations. After the 1969 title, he never again played a proper, five-on-five game of basketball.