NEW YORK, United States — Bill Russell, the cornerstone of a
Boston Celtics
dynasty that won 11 NBA titles and a powerful voice for social justice, died
Sunday at the age of 88, his family said.
اضافة اعلان
“Bill Russell, the
most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully today
at age 88, with his wife, Jeannine, by his side,” said a statement posted on
Russell’s Twitter page.
US President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama — who awarded Russell the Presidential
Medal of Freedom in 2011 — were among those who paid tribute to Russell’s
contributions on and off the court.
“The promise of
America is that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally
throughout our lives,” Biden said in a statement. “We’ve never fully lived up
to that promise, but Bill Russell made sure we never walked away from it.”
Russell’s 11 titles
with the Celtics included eight in a row from 1959–1966. Today’s NBA Finals MVP
award is named for him.
He averaged 15.1
points and 22.5 rebounds per game for his career, building a famed rivalry with
Wilt Chamberlain in the 1960s.
He became the first
Black coach in the NBA when he served as player-coach of the Celtics in 1966
and the first Black player inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.
His skills
revolutionized the NBA game, but Biden noted that throughout his stellar career
Russell “faced the hostility and hate of racism embedded in every part of
American life. Yet, he never gave up. Throughout his life, he forced us to
confront hard truths. And on this day, there are generations of Americans who
are reflecting on what he meant to them as someone who played for the essential
truth that every person is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect.”
Russell’s family
said his “understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life”.
“Bill called out
injustice with an unforgiving candor that he intended would disrupt the status
quo, and with a powerful example that, though never his humble intention, will
forever inspire teamwork, selflessness, and thoughtful change.”
Obama said the
world had “lost a giant”.
“As tall as Bill
Russell stood, his legacy rises far higher — both as a player and as a person,”
Obama said in a statement posted on Twitter.
“Perhaps more than
anyone else, Bill knew what it took to win and what it took to lead. On the
court, he was the greatest champion in basketball history. Off of it, he was a
civil rights trailblazer, marching with Dr King and standing with Muhammad
Ali.”
“For decades, Bill
endured insults and vandalism, but never let it stop him from speaking up for
what’s right. I learned so much from the way he played, the way he coached, and
the way he lived his life.”
NBA Commissioner
Adam Silver called Russell “the greatest champion in all of team sports,” but
added that his accolades “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,” Silver said.
Making things better
Those beliefs, more than his prowess on the court, were what inspired
Magic Johnson’s love of Russell, the Lakers legend said on Sunday as he joined
in an outpouring of tributes.
“He was one of the
first athletes on the front line fighting for social justice, equity, equality,
and civil rights,” Johnson said. “Over the course of our friendship, he always
reminded me about making things better in the Black community.”
Current Celtics
stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown remembered the franchise legend, the club
saying in a statement that “Bill Russell’s DNA is woven through every element
of the Celtics organization.”
Michael Jordan, who
for many inherited the mantle of greatest ever NBA player from Russell, said
Russell “paved the way and set an example for every Black player who came into
the league after him, including me.
“The world has lost
a legend,” Jordan said, a comment echoed by former New York Knicks great
Patrick Ewing.
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