BOSTON (AP) — Bill Russell, the NBA great who anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 11 championships in 13 years — the last two as the first black head coach in any major American sport — and marched for civil rights with Martin Luther King Jr., died Sunday. He was 88.
His family posted the news on social media, saying Russell had died with his wife Jeanine by his side. The statement did not provide a cause of death.
“Bill’s wife Jeanine and his many friends and family thank you for keeping Bill in your prayers. “Perhaps you will relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark laugh as he happily explained the true story behind how those moments unfolded,” the family said in a statement. “And we hope that each of us can find a new way to act or speak with Bill’s uncompromising, dignified and always constructive commitment to principle.” It will be one last and lasting victory for our beloved number 6.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that Russell was “the greatest champion in all of team sports.”
“Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he instilled in the DNA of our league. At the height of his athletic career, Bill was a vigorous advocate for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed on to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps,” Silver said. “Through taunts, threats and unimaginable adversity, Bill rose above it all and remained true to his belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.
A Hall of Famer, five-time MVP and 12-time All-Star, Russell was voted the greatest player in NBA history by basketball writers in 1980. He remains the sport’s most prolific scorer and archetype of dedication, winning with defense and rebounding, leaving the scoring to others. Often that meant Wilt Chamberlain, the only player of the era who was a worthy rival to Russell.
The on-court battles between the centers were fierce — iconic matchups in the NBA. Russell led the University of San Francisco to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956 and won a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics.
In Boston, Russell made a lasting mark as a black athlete in a city — and country — where race is often a flashpoint. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Russell the Medal of Freedom. Two years later, a statue of Russell was unveiled in Boston’s City Hall Plaza.
“I value my friendship with Bill and was thrilled when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Silver said in a statement. “I often called him the Babe Ruth of basketball because of how he overcame the weather. Bill was the ultimate winner and the ultimate teammate, and his impact on the NBA will be felt forever. We send our deepest condolences to his wife Janine, his family and his many friends.”
His family said arrangements for Russell’s memorial service will be announced in the coming days.
Add Comment