Damn. RIP.
Russell, the Celtics center who was the cornerstone of basketball’s greatest dynasty and an exemplar of racial harmony and progress, died Sunday.
www.bostonglobe.com
Celtics legend Bill Russell, one of basketball’s biggest icons and one of the greatest winners in sports history, died Sunday at age 88.
“Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully today at age 88,” read a statement on Russell’s official Twitter account, “with his wife, Jeannine, by his side. Arrangements for his memorial service will be announced soon.”
A two-time NCAA champion, Russell was the NBA’s first Black star and played his entire career with the Celtics, winning an unprecedented 11 NBA titles along with five Most Valuable Player awards. He won two more championships as coach of the Celtics — also the first Black head coach in one of the four major North American sports — before leaving the game and devoting much of his life to philanthropy and civil rights activism.
Bill Russell was the greatest champion in all of team sports,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “The countless accolades that he earned for his storied career with the Boston Celtics – including a record 11 championships and five MVP awards – only begin to tell the story of Bill’s immense impact on our league and broader society.
“Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league. At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps. Through the taunts, threats and unthinkable adversity, Bill rose above it all and remained true to his belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.
“For nearly 35 years since Bill completed his trailblazing career as the league’s first Black head coach, we were fortunate to see him at every major NBA event, including the NBA Finals, where he presented the Bill Russell Trophy to the Finals MVP.
“I cherished my friendship with Bill and was thrilled when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I often called him basketball’s Babe Ruth for how he transcended time. Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate teammate, and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever. We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Jeannine, his family and his many friends.”
No cause of death was provided.