Bill Russell, an American basketball legend, died at the age of 88.
During his 13-year stint as a player with the Boston Celtics, Russell earned a record 11 NBA titles and five NBA Most Valuable Player trophies.
He led the United States to Olympic gold in 1956 and went on to become the NBA’s first black head coach and an equal rights activist off the court.
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“Bill Russell was the greatest champion in all of team sports,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. “The countless accolades he earned for his storied career with the Boston Celtics only begin to tell the story of Bill’s immense impact on our league and broader society.”
“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. I often called him basketball’s Babe Ruth for how he transcended time. Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate team-mate and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever,” Silver added.
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Russell was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1975, then again as a coach in 2021, and the Celtics retired his No. 6 jersey.
“Today, we lost a giant,” former US President Barack Obama tweeted after Russell’s death. “As tall as Bill Russell stood, his legacy rises far higher—both as a player and as a person.”
“RIP Bill Russell, a giant in every sense of the word- athletic, civil rights, altruistic – the whole lot RIP champ!” retired American tennis star Martina Navratilova wrote in a post.
Singer-composer John Legend tweeted, “The greatest champion in American sports history. What a man. What a life.”
“I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of the greatest winner the game of basketball has ever seen, a legend, hall of famer, mentor and my friend for over 30 years, Bill Russell,” former professional basketball star Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson tweeted.
