Professional sports franchises in Boston are well known for their success. Whether it is the Bruins or the Celtics, every team in Boston seems to win championships at a higher rate than most other cities in North American sports. The Boston Celtics of the NBA have been exceptionally successful, having won seventeen NBA titles in their history.
Bill Russell holds the record for the most NBA titles of any player in league history, leading the Celtics to eleven of their seventeen championships. Although the Celtics had a Hall of Fame coach in Red Auerbach and Hall of Fame players in Bob Cousy and Sam Jones, it was Russell who led the charge. Russell's elite defensive prowess and rebounding abilities were key in the Celtics winning eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons.
Not only was Russell a legendary player, but he was also an accomplished coach. In 1966, Russell became player-coach of the Celtics and eventually led the Celtics to two NBA titles in 1968 and 1969. Russell would be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 as a player and 2021 as a coach.
Because Russell was arguably the best player in franchise history, the Boston Celtics retired his jersey number six in his honor. In 2009, then-NBA commissioner David Stern announced that the Finals Most Valuable Player award would be named after Russell.
On July 31st, 2022, Bill Russell passed away at eighty-eight years old. Russell had an unforgettable legacy on the court for his dominance but what he did off the court was even better. Bill Russell was a prominent Civil-Rights figure in his career as a Basketball player and long after he retired from the game.
Despite leading the Celtics to eleven NBA titles, Russell was not well-liked amongst many Boston residents. Russell was often the victim of racial hate crimes and bigotry in Boston and other cities across the United States. In Massachusetts, vandals broke into his house and vandalized his home with racist graffiti.
Despite the unwarranted hatred directed at him, Russell did not quit and let bigotry win on and off the court. Russell was a Basketball pioneer and became the first African-American coach in NBA history while setting an example that no matter who you were, you could always overcome the most difficult obstacles. Off the court, Russell was an enthusiastic civil rights supporter, attending Dr. Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963 and supporting Muhammed Ali's refusal to fight in Vietnam.
In 2011, Russell's activism off the court was recognized by President Barack Obama when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Obama praised Russell's activism during the Civil Rights era to always rise above bigotry and stand up for what is right.
Although Bill Russell has passed away, his legacy will live on forever. Russell is one of the greatest to ever play the game of Basketball, but the example he set off the court is what set him apart from many. Bill Russell was not just a great Basketball player, but he was a great man as well.
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