"The definition of a winner. Rest in paradise legend" - New York Yankees legend CC Sabathia pays homage to Bill Russell after former Boston Celtics legend passes away at 88
Earlier today, some extremely tragic news hit the sports community. NBA legend Bill Russell passed away earlier this morning at 88 years old. Russell was a pioneer in so many ways in basketball and sports in general.
Since Russell is one of the best players to ever play in the NBA, many stars from multiple pro sports leagues paid their respects. One in particular was from former Cy Young award winner C.C. Sabathia. In response to a Twitter post from the Russell estate, Sabathia said, "The definition of a winner. Rest in paradise legend."
🏿 twitter.com/realbillrussel…
The definition of a winner. Rest in paradise legend 🙏🏿 twitter.com/realbillrussel…
"The definition of a winner. Rest in paradise legend" - C.C. Sabathia
Although not nearly as renowned as Bill Russell, C.C. Sabathia is one of the all-time greats in his position. After 19 seasons in Major League Baseball, Sabathia racked up 251 wins and 3093 strikeouts. He was also named to the All-Star game six times, taking the New York Yankees to the World Series Champions title in 2009.
It is really nice to see other greats in pro sports come out and pay their respects to a legend. Bill Russell has done so much both on and off the court; his accomplishments cannot go unnoticed.
Bill Russell was a legend both on and off the court
When talking about success, Russell might be the most successful athlete of all time. Throughout his 13 year career, Russell won an outstanding 11 NBA Finals championships with the Boston Celtics. His 11 championships are by far the most by a single NBA player.
He averaged 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds throughout his career, and was the league's rebounds leader five times. He is often referred to as the best center and one of the best NBA players of all time.
Not only was he one of the greats on the court, his contributions off the court could not go unnoticed. When it was needed the most, Bill Russell was a Civil Rights pioneer and did a lot to advance the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's. He also helped to integrate the NBA among other sports as well.
An announcement… https://t.co/KMJ7pG4R5Z
"The Announcement..." - The BillRussell
His efforts throughout the NBA off the court have been very influential and paved the way for integration throughout pro sports today. He is held in similar regards with other pioneers such as Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali when it comes to Civil Rights in pro sports.