Sports

Bill Russell, NBA great and Celtics legend, dies at 88

Invoice Russell, the NBA nice who anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that received 11 championships in 13 years — the final two as the primary Black head coach in any main U.S. sport — and marched for civil rights with Martin Luther King Jr., died Sunday. He was 88.

His household posted the information on social media, saying Russell died along with his spouse, Jeannine, by his facet. The assertion didn’t give the reason for demise.

“Invoice’s spouse, Jeannine, and his many family and friends thanks for holding Invoice in your prayers. Maybe you’ll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark snigger as he delighted in explaining the actual story behind how these moments unfolded,” the household assertion mentioned. “And we hope every of us can discover a new technique to act or communicate up with Invoice’s uncompromising, dignified and at all times constructive dedication to precept. That may be one final, and lasting, win for our beloved #6.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that Russell was “the best champion in all of staff sports activities.”

“Invoice stood for one thing a lot greater than sports activities: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league. On the top of his athletic profession, Invoice advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he handed right down to generations of NBA gamers who adopted in his footsteps,” Silver mentioned. “By way of the taunts, threats and unthinkable adversity, Invoice rose above all of it and remained true to his perception that everybody deserves to be handled with dignity.

A Corridor of Famer, five-time Most Invaluable Participant and 12-time All-Star, Russell in 1980 was voted the best participant within the NBA historical past by basketball writers. He stays the game’s most prolific winner and an archetype of selflessness who received with protection and rebounding whereas leaving the scoring to others. Typically, that meant Wilt Chamberlain, the one participant of the period who was a worthy rival for Russell.

The battles on the court docket between the facilities had been fierce — signature showdowns within the NBA. Russell led the College of San Francisco to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956 and received a gold medal on the 1956 Olympics.

In Boston, Russell left a long-lasting mark as a Black athlete in a metropolis — and nation — the place race is usually a flash level. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Russell the Medal of Freedom. Two years later, a statue of Russell was unveiled on Boston’s Metropolis Corridor Plaza.

“I cherished my friendship with Invoice and was thrilled when he obtained the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Silver mentioned in his assertion. “I usually referred to as him basketball’s Babe Ruth for the way he transcended time. Invoice was the final word winner and consummate teammate, and his affect on the NBA shall be felt eternally. We ship our deepest condolences to his spouse, Jeannine, his household and his many associates.”

His household mentioned that preparations for Russell’s memorial service shall be introduced within the coming days.

This is how the sports activities world reacted to the information.

Reporting by Related Press.


Get extra from Nationwide Basketball Affiliation Comply with your favorites to get details about video games, information and extra.





Source link

Related Articles

Back to top button