Bill Russell, an NBA legend with won 11 championship trophies, died at age 88, according to an announcement made by his family. Russell, who primarily played for the Boston Celtics, was known to be one of the funniest players, on and off the court.
While some remember Bill Russell‘s most humourous moments, NBA veterans have paid their tributes to the Hall of Fame player. “To be the greatest champion in your sport, to revolutionize the way the game is played, and to be a societal leader all at once seems unthinkable, but that is who Bill Russell was”, Boston Celtics wrote.
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Bill Russell vs Hall of Fame players
Russell took on Hall of Fame players, but off the court. While attending the 2017 NBA Awards, he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning and David Robinson came on stage to present Russell, but were stopped mid-way. Russell silently pointed at them and then said jokingly, “I will kick your a**.”
Flippin’ off Russell
Just one year, Russell delivered another hilarious moment at the NBA Awards. Charles Barkley, another famous NBA player, was invited on stage to give away the Lifetime Achievement Award to Oscar Robertson.
Barkley started thanking all the NBA legends for attending the event, but got a bit late in recognising Russell’s presence. The former Celtics player went on to give Barkley the middle finger on live television.
“Sorry everyone, I forgot it was live TV & I can’t help myself whenever I see Charles it just is pure instinct”, he later wrote in a social media post.
Also Read: NBA star Bill Russell: Legend on and off the court
Russell died Sunday at the age of 88, with his wife, Jeannine, at his side, his family said in a statement posted on social media. No cause of death was immediately available; Russell, who had been living in the Seattle area, was not well enough to present the NBA Finals MVP trophy in June due to a long illness.
