Defined defense in basketball, the basketball court was increased in size because of his dominance. He won 11 championships with the Boston Celtics from 1957 to 1969. The battles between him and Wilt Chamberlain as Centers were the penultimate of competition between two Giants. He was also involved with the civil rights protests of the 1960s with legends like Muhammad Ali.
@AthrillatheHunt I wondered when someone was going to notice that. He won more championships in 13 years ever. NCAA twice with San Francisco 1956 Olympics NBA Championships Let alone MVP five times!
@graphite I agree. Hell, I'm not even a basketball fan. But more so a fan of achievement. My fav brand there after however carries with it, humility. 🤷♀️
@JohnnyNoir The first time I remember watching him I was 10 and he had slam dunked the basketball, caught it going down and then handed it to the opposing guard without appearing too showy!
@Dino11 Recent comments by NBA Commisioner Adam Silver since this post.
"Bill Russell was the greatest champion in all of team sports. The countless accolades that he earned for his storied career with the Boston Celtics - including a record 11 championships and five MVP awards - only begin to tell the story of Bill's immense impact on our league and broader society. "Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league. At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps. Through the taunts, threats and unthinkable adversity, Bill rose above it all and remained true to his belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.”
@Pfuzylogic I’d prefer to be wrong considering he was the first modern basketball star. So many players from the old days you can’t imagine playing in the NBA now. Not so with Russell
