"Set an example for every black player who came into the league after him" - Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, Barack Obama, and others remember the late great Bill Russell
One of the sports world’s greatest winners, Bill Russell, passed away at age 88 on July 31. The legendary Boston Celtics superstar won 11 NBA championships in 13 years and was the league’s first black coach.
Russell is a true great in the game and has been known to champion causes outside the court as well. He stood with Muhammad Ali and Martin Luther King as civil rights champions to fight for social change.
Russell’s passing is mourned by the entire sports world and by the lives of people he has enriched by his presence alone.
Charlotte Hornets chairman Michael Jordan tweeted in Russell's memory along with several others.
Here are some of the tweets mourning the passing away of the basketball legend.
A statement from Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan on the passing of NBA legend Bill Russell. https://t.co/RdYcnuCrmb
Today, we lost a giant.
As tall as Bill Russell stood, his legacy rises far higher—both as a player and as a person.
My thoughts about Bill Russell passing away…. I am working on an deeper thought provoking article tonight as I process what just happened. https://t.co/M69pXNkaC0
Bill Russell was a treasure as a player, coach and especially as a human being. @Lakers and @celtics fans can agree on this today. 😔💜💚😔 twitter.com/realbillrussel…
Charles Barkley's statement regarding the passing of Bill Russell https://t.co/kVwqnBchzO
A Legend in every sense of the word.
#ForeverGreen 💚6️⃣ https://t.co/4Z4WYXqwJa
Rest in peace Bill Russell you were everything we all aspired to be, your winning spirit will live forever my friend. Thank you for your words of wisdom. https://t.co/rBjFS6nhzW
Thank you for paving the way. You will be missed legend. @RealBillRussell https://t.co/obvwkMDCCc
Coach Pop on the passing of NBA legend Bill Russell. https://t.co/89IrDvmIqO
Bill Russell has had an impact on the NBA and the Boston Celtics that no other player has come close to matching. He brought with him a whole new level of basketball genius into the court.
Basketball in the early ‘50s and ‘60s was ground bound. The five-time MVP played above the rim with his relentless rebounding and impeccable rim protection. He became a superstar not with dunks and jump shots but rather with the gritty side of the ball.
Russell averaged 22.5 rebounds per game (RPG) in his 13-year career. He had a 51-rebound game and two matches where he grabbed 49 caroms. Although blocks were only counted after the 11-time champ retired, he was widely regarded as the ultimate shot block artist.
Aram Goudsouzian wrote the perfect description of Russell in his book “King of the Court: Bill Russell and the Basketball Revolution.”
“Russell defended the way Picasso painted, the way Hemingway wrote.”
Bill Russell was undefeated in deciding games
Often overlooked in Bill Russell’s legendary career was how he showed up in the biggest games. On his way to 11 NBA titles, Russ played in 10 Game 7s, the only player to accomplish such a feat. He was 10-0 in those games.
The four-time rebounding champ was at his best when the NBA championship was on the line. He averaged a mind-boggling 29.3 RPG in those 10 Game 7s. In Boston’s 8th straight title, the Celtics faced their heated rivals, the LA Lakers, which featured superstars Elgin Baylor and Jerry West.
Game 7 of the 1966 NBA Finals:
Bill Russell had 25 points and 32 rebounds to lead Boston to their 8th championship in a row. Legend. https://t.co/yJOJrLBtAE
Russell led the Celtics to yet another championship by scoring 25 points and grabbing 32 rebounds in Game 7 of the 1966 NBA Finals. In that series, he averaged 23.6 points and 24.3 rebounds.
Bill Russell is the only player in NBA history to play in at least 10 Game 7's, and not lose a single one.
Russell amassed 293 rebounds in Game 7’s (29.3 RPG), most all-time...that's 50 MORE rebounds than his rival Wilt Chamberlain, who played in only 1 less Game 7. https://t.co/E8SSCNwuCe
Three years later, in the 1969 NBA Finals, an aging Russell led the Celtics again in another Game 7 against the Lakers. LA, this time, had Russell’s archnemesis, Wilt Chamberlain.
The Celtics’ big man scored only six points, but played the entire 48-minute game and grabbed 21 rebounds to push the Celtics to a pulsating 108-106 series-clinching victory.
21 deciding games. 21-0
RIP Bill Russell
Russell played in 5 Game 5s and won them all. Overall, he went 21-0 in win-or-go home situations.