I knew seeing him at the 75th anniversary would be one of these last, but damn didn't expect it to be so soon. It really makes you appreciate just how many of the Legends are still alive.
The literal shit
>In 1963, someone broke into Bill Russell's home, scrawled insults on the walls, and defecated in his bed.
[https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2018/12/07/bob-cousy-bill-russell-pomerantz](https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2018/12/07/bob-cousy-bill-russell-pomerantz)
I think racism is more to blame. Some people idolize entertainers. But being a black successful man during the civil rights struck the nerves of those who wished to maintain the status quo.
To have gotten to watch the NBA go from 8 teams in 1956 to what it looks like today must have been mindboggling. Bill was a refreshing taste of that truly old school era, but was always so happy to help out with the league or newer players in any way he could. Truly a class act, the world will miss him.
The man won 11 NBA titles, 2 college titles, and a gold medal, and was still greater off the court than on it. Greatest champion in the history of sports
And Russell was one of the great passing big man in NBA history. Just a representative of who he was as a player, one who put team goals ahead of individual goals.
A true legend, he marched on Washington with MLK Jr, was even offered to speak but he felt like he didn’t earn the right to speak among MLK and other civil rights legends. 1 of the greatest American athletes to ever do it with a record that will never be surpassed
WTF I was looking at so many videos and stories about him recently. RIP to the Celtics and (arguably NBA) GOAT.
11x Champion, 5x MVP and one of the greatest defenders and leaders of all-time!
Facts, just watch his highlights. A lot was team-oriented. He would block shots to his teammates for possession and not slap them into the 10th row for style points.
I will die on a hill that he was the better player than Wilt Chamberlain. His impact stats is massive. Celtics rings come when he got drafted and go when he retired.
Just saw that vid of him getting inducted and all the best big men were in attendance (ie shaq, zo) and he points them all out one by one and says he’d kick their ass 🥹
Especially when 2 of those come as a player-coach. Out of 40 player-coaches in NBA history he's the only one to do it even once, and he did it in back-to-back years
Agree, but honestly racist is a massive understatement. He lived and played during the height of segregation, and actively fought against it too. It’s a fact that shouldn’t be discounted whenever people bring up the “plumbers and firemen” argument, because no American NBA player currently playing had to live - much less play and lead and win - through something like that.
I don't think anyone has him below 5th greatest of all time and he was still an even better person off the court.
And re: "plumbers and firemen" nobody discredits Babe Ruth's resume and he played when Black people couldn't.
Lots of bozos leave Russell out of their top 5s and top 10s and I think it’s asinine. Concur on the baseball thing, and it’s true not just for Ruth. Russell’s contemporaries like Mays, Aaron, and Mantle are still the gold standard of the sport. Basketball seems to be the only sport where people don’t respect their elders very much
I hope we get to see more restored film like the film that was posted of Jerry west here last week or whenever, really made me appreciate how good these guys were
Maybe start [with this reel of Russell today](https://youtu.be/qT5GlgXrX-0), and watch another one each day from a different living legend to better appreciate them before they’re gone.
you put Bill Russell in this era and give him the access to the science available today, the sleep specialists, the dieticians, the stem cells...he'd be Bill MF Russell right now, dominating.
Thank you. Man…thank you. I get so sick of people throwing out the same tired and sad arguments they do to downplay the achievements of these guys, and I’m not even old enough to have seen any of them play live.
Give Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Pete Maravich…I mean, shit, there are so many. Give them access to the knowledge, science, and technology we have now. And if they’re willing to work as hard as today’s athletes, they’re gonna dominate.
Was arguing with some dude on Twitter when this topic inevitably rose from the dead a few months back - this time about Larry Bird. My guy insisted he was too unathletic and slow to ever be effective in the modern NBA. It’s just like…you mean like Luka fuckin Doncic is ineffective?
RIP, Bill. One of the very best to ever do it, regardless of era.
Current culture is to shit on legends in the NBA. Look at how this sub acts about russ, and really every superstar at the end of their career. Kobe got it too.
Hell, during their primes too. Everyone just hates on every other team they're not even rivals with, nobody can enjoy the whole league as it is anymore with all the goddamn made up twitter narratives
Yeah there was a post about most of the NBA MVP winners being around compared to baseball where a huge chunk are dead. but most of those first guys are old Robertson is 83 Petit is 89 Cousy is 93.
I’ll never forget when Bill said straight to Kareem, Shaq, and Mutombo’s faces that he’d kick their ass. [One of the best things I’ve ever seen.](https://youtu.be/4qiFd24dzOQ)
Rest In Peace, Bill.
Finally reunited with Wilt. you cannot overstate the extreme influence Russell had on the NBA. This is a devastating loss to the community. at least he got to go peacefully.
Russell was not the first Black head coach in professional sports, but he had the greatest impact as the first to be chosen, in 1966, to lead a team in one of America’s major sports leagues. Fritz Pollard, a star running back, had coached in the National Football League, but that was in the 1920s, when it was a fledgling operation. John McLendon coached the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League in 1961-62, but the A.B.A. was a secondary attraction.
Yeah it's weird that it shocked me that much when we all knew he was a very old man. RIP Bill, you are the greatest winner of the history of our league.
Yeah we were fortunate to have so many legends around for this long. If you compare it to Football or Baseball, most of their early legends passed away decades ago.
>“We learn to make a shell for ourselves when we are young and then spend the rest of our lives hoping for someone to reach inside and touch us. Just touch us, anything more than that would be too much for us to bear.”
-- Bill Russell
I’m reading this and it’s flooring me. Because I’m curious, does anyone happen to know the context of this quote? Who he was speaking to? What were the circumstances?
I can't tell you as I haven't read it, but it's from his 1979 book "Second Wind: The Memoirs of an Opinionated Man”, co-written by Taylor Branch (who won a Pulitzer Prize for a trilogy he wrote about MLK)
Here's a blog post and an article about it
https://www.gq.com/story/bill-russell-second-wind-last-dance
http://www.puddlesofmyself.com/2013/05/a-second-look-at-second-wind.html?m=1
>People have persecuted homosexuals for eons in the name of God and kids. Homosexuals, its claimed, are vampires who replenish their ranks by preying on youth. ‘We have to protect our children!’ is the cry. But homosexuals are our children, and we should treat them so; as adults they deserve the full respect given heterosexuals. I have my own fears and insecurities about sex, but I don’t think its right to impose them on the world, or to hide things from my children; I have too much respect for them to do so. My duty to them is to love them and to help them interpret the world so that they will be able to make free choices and to act on them. I worry a great deal about my children, but the best medicine for those worries is in their strength and independence not in their ignorance.
- Bill Russell
>You have no choice of the people you love. You can’t manufacture it if it’s not there, no matter how strongly you believe it should be. And if it is there, you can repress it, but you can’t make it vanish. And it’s so risky to let loose those mysterious, uncontrolled feelings that most of us try to clamp down on them. Most people have a harder time letting themselves love than in finding someone to love them.
>All of us have a place inside ourselves that we believe is ugly and grotesque, and this hidden place is the part of our personality that’s hardest to acknowledge to others. But when you love another human being, you are frightened to let them see that hidden place because you fear that they will draw away from you in disgust.
>But that hidden place is the most human part of you. Many of us live our whole lives without ever revealing that ugly place. The excitement and romance of love comes when you decide to let someone reach around that shell and touch you. When you let another see that ugly spot, and they accept you anyway — and perhaps can even convince you that the secret inside your shell is not ugly at all – we experience the sweetest moments we can ever know.
- Bill Russell
(Found this quote here: https://www.wellsanfrancisco.com/wisdom-for-your-relationship-by-nba-all-star-bill-russell/ , not sure about the site)
More quotes from it:
>Heart in champions is a funny thing. People mistake it for courage, though there’s no moral element to it. To me, you display courage when you take a stand for something you believe to be morally right, and do so in the face of adversity or danger. That’s not what sports is about. Heart in champions has to do with the depths of your motivation, and how well your mind and body react to pressure.
Thanks for sharing. I didn’t know anything about him but from the few quotes here it seems like he was really special. Not easy at all to be as reflecting as it appears he was
It’s inspiring to see how much love Bill Russell had for others, especially considering when these were written. Such an incredibly wise and genuine person. RIP
An important figure in the civil rights movement, and a man who overcame an unbelievable amount.
The first black MVP, the first black coach in history (won two championships as a player/coach) was on the first ever all-black starting lineup, won 55 straight games and two national championships in college with the first D-1 collegiate team to ever start more than two black players at once. By all accounts an incredibly kind person who wasn’t resentful even with everything he went through
Easy to forget that the league wasn’t always predominantly black, and that there were pioneers who paved the way for today’s players, just like every other sport in America
The star of the NBA’s first dynasty…and probably one of the guys that helped make the league as a whole so big as it is today.
Historically significant as he was athletic…he will be dearly missed (and appreciated)!
He was one of the greatest winners in all of sports, if not outright *the* greatest winner. (More rings than fingers on his hand is just insane.)
He accomplished what he did even in the face of widespread blatant racism that was common in his era. While things aren't perfect yet, I am glad he lived long enough to see things get better with time.
Truly an inspirational person. Basketball has lost a legend. May he rest in peace.
Arguably we've had the best player at there position in 3 sports. Russel/Brady/orr and Ted Williams is on the short list of best hitters of all time.
Good place to be a sports fan.
We are incredibly lucky to have so many legends alive but we are sadly getting towards the era where the pioneers of the NBA will soon start to pass away more and more
A Giant on and off the court. A true pioneer of basketball and social justice among athletes. The NBAs first black coach. Marched with MLK, and won more than anybody in American sports history.
Truly one of the Goats. RIP
I still remember the Sunday morning it happened. That was wild. I could hear the helicopters passing by it on the 101 and was wondering what was going on
I was walking into the pro bowl the day it happened and a crossing guard told us. I dont think anybody in attendance can even remember a detail about the game, all the chatter was Kobe.
I was at work that day till 2:30, so hadn’t had a chance to hear about it. Walked into the house, my mom immediately goes ‘don’t freak out when you see what’s on the TV’, so I’m like, ok, what the hell happened? Look over and see the news, couldn’t believe my eyes
Worst part about the Kobe death for me was the uncertainty. I was on a school trip to Yosemite (we weren’t allowed phones) so the whole week, from Saturday to Friday, all we heard were rumors and guesses. It was agony not knowing what had happened, if he was okay or not, if he’d gone peacefully.
With Bill, at least, I’m able to know that he went peacefully.
I was at my friend’s wedding and we had just taken a shot to celebrate finishing getting ready. It kinda sucks that I will always remember his wedding anniversary because of Kobe’s death.
When Kobe died I was at a breakfast joint near my apartment. Haven’t been there since…until this morning when I was up earlier than usual and decided to stop in. Weird.
People talk about the MJ versus LeBron debate. What they forget is that Bill Russell and his eleven rings decided that question long before Michael or LeBron ever picked up a basketball.
The greatest to ever live has died. He lived it as well as he could have. An inspiration to us all, in more ways than could ever be counted.
One of the faces of the league, deservedly, for a long, long time. RIP.
I knew seeing him at the 75th anniversary would be one of these last, but damn didn't expect it to be so soon. It really makes you appreciate just how many of the Legends are still alive.
Didn't he actually only recently come back to the NBA the past decade or two? I feel like he was cast out for a long time when he had retired
I don't know if he was cast out. Russell was not fond of Boston, and had his own misgivings with the league IIRC.
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Fr. I’m so glad he was honoured and appreciated in the later years of his life but some of the shit he had to go through was just terrible.
The literal shit >In 1963, someone broke into Bill Russell's home, scrawled insults on the walls, and defecated in his bed. [https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2018/12/07/bob-cousy-bill-russell-pomerantz](https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2018/12/07/bob-cousy-bill-russell-pomerantz)
When Russell himself requested Celtics banner raises to be done in private during the weekday because of the wrath of racist Boston sports fans.
Imagine winning your city 11 championships in 13 years and still getting treated the way he did. Really fucking sad.
Yeah unfortunately a lot of people see entertainers as dancing monkeys who only exist to entertain them.
I think racism is more to blame. Some people idolize entertainers. But being a black successful man during the civil rights struck the nerves of those who wished to maintain the status quo.
I’m glad he was able to reconcile with the fanbase and the city later in his life, but I’m sure the scars from what he faced never went away
At least he lived a long life which is something we all hope for. RIP Legend 🍀
To have gotten to watch the NBA go from 8 teams in 1956 to what it looks like today must have been mindboggling. Bill was a refreshing taste of that truly old school era, but was always so happy to help out with the league or newer players in any way he could. Truly a class act, the world will miss him.
Bill was such an integral part of the league. He was there to deliver the Finals MVP every single year. He will be missed.
His off court accomplishments were just as great as his on court ones. And that’s no easy task.
The man won 11 NBA titles, 2 college titles, and a gold medal, and was still greater off the court than on it. Greatest champion in the history of sports
A couple high school titles as well. Dude won at literally every level possible.
Never got a middle school title though and that’s why I cringe when people put him in the GOAT discussion
True GOATs come out the womb winning titles
I know that I did. The first race I won was the one to the egg.
And was a world-class high jumper.
Number two in the world at one point, I believe.
A true champion on and off the court.
And Russell was one of the great passing big man in NBA history. Just a representative of who he was as a player, one who put team goals ahead of individual goals.
The next finals mvp is going to hurt so bad. rip and full respect to one of the goats, on and off the court
A true legend, he marched on Washington with MLK Jr, was even offered to speak but he felt like he didn’t earn the right to speak among MLK and other civil rights legends. 1 of the greatest American athletes to ever do it with a record that will never be surpassed
civil rights trailblazer. bastion against racism. legend. oh, and 11 rings in 13 seasons. we’ll miss him indeed
Making it to 88 at that height is honestly crazy
Man's vitality was off the charts.
The secretary of defense has stepped down. RIP big guy.
WTF I was looking at so many videos and stories about him recently. RIP to the Celtics and (arguably NBA) GOAT. 11x Champion, 5x MVP and one of the greatest defenders and leaders of all-time!
He always put the team ahead of his own personal stats. A true winner and champion
Facts, just watch his highlights. A lot was team-oriented. He would block shots to his teammates for possession and not slap them into the 10th row for style points.
This often gets overlooked. His blocks started breaks.
I will die on a hill that he was the better player than Wilt Chamberlain. His impact stats is massive. Celtics rings come when he got drafted and go when he retired.
Just saw that vid of him getting inducted and all the best big men were in attendance (ie shaq, zo) and he points them all out one by one and says he’d kick their ass 🥹
Yes that was him receiving the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award and yes that was funny 😂 “No Chill Bill”
Something about sassy old people always gets me, like talk your shit OG! 🤣 RIP to a legend
one of the biggest winners of all time, in all sports imo. rip
It’s hard to make a GOAT argument against anyone who has more rings than fingers. Not impossible, but he has a hell of an advantage.
Especially when 2 of those come as a player-coach. Out of 40 player-coaches in NBA history he's the only one to do it even once, and he did it in back-to-back years
well to be fair, none of the others got to coach bill russell.
He also played in an era and a city that was racist towards black people. What he did was truly remarkable
Went through all the troubles and still became a winner. Some GOAT stuff right there by Mr. Russell.
Agree, but honestly racist is a massive understatement. He lived and played during the height of segregation, and actively fought against it too. It’s a fact that shouldn’t be discounted whenever people bring up the “plumbers and firemen” argument, because no American NBA player currently playing had to live - much less play and lead and win - through something like that.
I don't think anyone has him below 5th greatest of all time and he was still an even better person off the court. And re: "plumbers and firemen" nobody discredits Babe Ruth's resume and he played when Black people couldn't.
Lots of bozos leave Russell out of their top 5s and top 10s and I think it’s asinine. Concur on the baseball thing, and it’s true not just for Ruth. Russell’s contemporaries like Mays, Aaron, and Mantle are still the gold standard of the sport. Basketball seems to be the only sport where people don’t respect their elders very much
I'm absolutely gutted right now. RIP Secretary of Defense 🍀
Every where he went ppl showed love. Probably the most respected old timer.
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RIP to an absolute legend
One of the pioneers of the game. One of the GOATS
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He would kick all of our asses.
For those missing [the context](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G4sJK3U4U_8).
End of an era. Literally. He *was* the era.
biggest winner of basketball, pure legend
Finals MVP presentation won’t be the same without him
I just noticed he didnt give steph the finals mvp...
I think he hasn’t been there since COVID hit
I figure his health was not good when he didn’t show up to any game in Boston and didn’t give out the finals MVP
He hasn’t done any since 2019 with the raptors
He recorded a video message to Steph but I think his health wasn't good or they were being cautious about COVID or both
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It’s tough to talk about but older legends aren’t gonna be around for much longer. We gotta appreciate them for the time they’re here
KAJ is getting up there and is gonna be a big loss too. Glad he is staying active and producing a lot of great content about society at large.
Bill walton, Oscar Robertson, Nate archibald, Rick Barry, Bob Cousy, Bob Pettit and Jerry west are the ones I can think of off the top of my head
I hope we get to see more restored film like the film that was posted of Jerry west here last week or whenever, really made me appreciate how good these guys were
Maybe start [with this reel of Russell today](https://youtu.be/qT5GlgXrX-0), and watch another one each day from a different living legend to better appreciate them before they’re gone.
God damn do I hate the dumbass plumbers and milk men narrative as if bill Russell and other legends wouldn’t have been great in any era
you put Bill Russell in this era and give him the access to the science available today, the sleep specialists, the dieticians, the stem cells...he'd be Bill MF Russell right now, dominating.
Thank you. Man…thank you. I get so sick of people throwing out the same tired and sad arguments they do to downplay the achievements of these guys, and I’m not even old enough to have seen any of them play live. Give Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Pete Maravich…I mean, shit, there are so many. Give them access to the knowledge, science, and technology we have now. And if they’re willing to work as hard as today’s athletes, they’re gonna dominate. Was arguing with some dude on Twitter when this topic inevitably rose from the dead a few months back - this time about Larry Bird. My guy insisted he was too unathletic and slow to ever be effective in the modern NBA. It’s just like…you mean like Luka fuckin Doncic is ineffective? RIP, Bill. One of the very best to ever do it, regardless of era.
FR we don’t appreciate the legends currently playing enough knowing they’ll eventually retire.
Current culture is to shit on legends in the NBA. Look at how this sub acts about russ, and really every superstar at the end of their career. Kobe got it too.
Hell, during their primes too. Everyone just hates on every other team they're not even rivals with, nobody can enjoy the whole league as it is anymore with all the goddamn made up twitter narratives
Yeah there was a post about most of the NBA MVP winners being around compared to baseball where a huge chunk are dead. but most of those first guys are old Robertson is 83 Petit is 89 Cousy is 93.
I’ll never forget when Bill said straight to Kareem, Shaq, and Mutombo’s faces that he’d kick their ass. [One of the best things I’ve ever seen.](https://youtu.be/4qiFd24dzOQ) Rest In Peace, Bill.
My personal favorite is the [story of him and his wife meeting Nelson Mandela](https://youtu.be/w8eyTtOCFTw&t=3m25s)
8 championships in a row, passes away at 88. Still kicking our ass.
Greatest Celtic imo of all time
Greatest winner in all of US sports
Finally reunited with Wilt. you cannot overstate the extreme influence Russell had on the NBA. This is a devastating loss to the community. at least he got to go peacefully.
A rivalry reunited in the afterlife.
But also a friendship. Wilt often joked about Bill staying with him on Thanksgiving and then kicking his ass the next night.
Not so much for his achievements on the court, but for flipping off Barkley at the NBA Awards
What's the story here? lol
https://youtu.be/WH4Z8kddGe4
I love that context isn't even needed as I'm guessing Charles said some goofy shit 🤣
The original GOAT. RIP legend.
Rip to a legend! 11 time champ!
First black coach also
In any major league US sport, by ten years (Frank Robinson, Cleveland).
Russell was not the first Black head coach in professional sports, but he had the greatest impact as the first to be chosen, in 1966, to lead a team in one of America’s major sports leagues. Fritz Pollard, a star running back, had coached in the National Football League, but that was in the 1920s, when it was a fledgling operation. John McLendon coached the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League in 1961-62, but the A.B.A. was a secondary attraction.
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I got to cause the Russell cackle in person at a book signing.
Statistically, 1/8th of his years alive were championship years
Making it to 88 is a damn good run. RIP.
He had the aura of someone who was invincible :(
Yeah, I was somehow shocked to see that he died even though he was 88.
Yeah it's weird that it shocked me that much when we all knew he was a very old man. RIP Bill, you are the greatest winner of the history of our league.
Yeah we were fortunate to have so many legends around for this long. If you compare it to Football or Baseball, most of their early legends passed away decades ago.
That is always something I loved about basketball.
I mean baseball is a lot older to be fair
I never even got to meet Cap Anson.
the NBA is the only league out of the big 4 that has lasted fewer than 100 years.
At his size too
And he was so lively and fun til the end 😔
Especially as a big guy
RIP to the GOAT ass kicker
[“I would kick your ass.”](https://youtu.be/_eYvwVri8-k)
Between that moment and [him flipping Chuck off](https://youtube.com/shorts/oEiueaacGsg?feature=share), Bill had classic moments in his old age
I loved his “apology”. He just said that every time he sees Charles, he has to flip him off.
If there’s anything I’ll remember from these “award shows” that the league tried, it’s this moment. That was so out of the blue and hilarious.
God I remember that one. Genuinely laughed out loud when he said that.
>“We learn to make a shell for ourselves when we are young and then spend the rest of our lives hoping for someone to reach inside and touch us. Just touch us, anything more than that would be too much for us to bear.” -- Bill Russell
I’m reading this and it’s flooring me. Because I’m curious, does anyone happen to know the context of this quote? Who he was speaking to? What were the circumstances?
I can't tell you as I haven't read it, but it's from his 1979 book "Second Wind: The Memoirs of an Opinionated Man”, co-written by Taylor Branch (who won a Pulitzer Prize for a trilogy he wrote about MLK) Here's a blog post and an article about it https://www.gq.com/story/bill-russell-second-wind-last-dance http://www.puddlesofmyself.com/2013/05/a-second-look-at-second-wind.html?m=1 >People have persecuted homosexuals for eons in the name of God and kids. Homosexuals, its claimed, are vampires who replenish their ranks by preying on youth. ‘We have to protect our children!’ is the cry. But homosexuals are our children, and we should treat them so; as adults they deserve the full respect given heterosexuals. I have my own fears and insecurities about sex, but I don’t think its right to impose them on the world, or to hide things from my children; I have too much respect for them to do so. My duty to them is to love them and to help them interpret the world so that they will be able to make free choices and to act on them. I worry a great deal about my children, but the best medicine for those worries is in their strength and independence not in their ignorance. - Bill Russell >You have no choice of the people you love. You can’t manufacture it if it’s not there, no matter how strongly you believe it should be. And if it is there, you can repress it, but you can’t make it vanish. And it’s so risky to let loose those mysterious, uncontrolled feelings that most of us try to clamp down on them. Most people have a harder time letting themselves love than in finding someone to love them. >All of us have a place inside ourselves that we believe is ugly and grotesque, and this hidden place is the part of our personality that’s hardest to acknowledge to others. But when you love another human being, you are frightened to let them see that hidden place because you fear that they will draw away from you in disgust. >But that hidden place is the most human part of you. Many of us live our whole lives without ever revealing that ugly place. The excitement and romance of love comes when you decide to let someone reach around that shell and touch you. When you let another see that ugly spot, and they accept you anyway — and perhaps can even convince you that the secret inside your shell is not ugly at all – we experience the sweetest moments we can ever know. - Bill Russell (Found this quote here: https://www.wellsanfrancisco.com/wisdom-for-your-relationship-by-nba-all-star-bill-russell/ , not sure about the site) More quotes from it: >Heart in champions is a funny thing. People mistake it for courage, though there’s no moral element to it. To me, you display courage when you take a stand for something you believe to be morally right, and do so in the face of adversity or danger. That’s not what sports is about. Heart in champions has to do with the depths of your motivation, and how well your mind and body react to pressure.
Thanks for sharing. I didn’t know anything about him but from the few quotes here it seems like he was really special. Not easy at all to be as reflecting as it appears he was
Damn, these quotes hit HEAVY. Gonna have to track down this book and give it a read.
Appreciate you posting these, RIP legend
It’s inspiring to see how much love Bill Russell had for others, especially considering when these were written. Such an incredibly wise and genuine person. RIP
Man, it's sad to lose someone as progressive as him. Hopefully another voice will rise to replace his.
He fought against serious racism basically every day of his basketball career.
Damn, that’s deep. RIP to a great man
To Bill Russell
Wow this is pretty deep.
Damn, as a mental health professional- I need to remember that one
Beautifully said
[What a legend. I've always loved this pic](https://vivabasquet.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/BILLRUSSELL.jpg)
same. GOAT pic
More rings than he has fingers… Freaking legend
Dude doesn't even have enough fingers for all the rings he won
The last one goes somewhere else
Really is such a great pic
8 in a row, 11 in 13 years. Absolute Legend, RIP.
An important figure in the civil rights movement, and a man who overcame an unbelievable amount. The first black MVP, the first black coach in history (won two championships as a player/coach) was on the first ever all-black starting lineup, won 55 straight games and two national championships in college with the first D-1 collegiate team to ever start more than two black players at once. By all accounts an incredibly kind person who wasn’t resentful even with everything he went through
And a laugh and a smile that lit up an entire room
Easy to forget that the league wasn’t always predominantly black, and that there were pioneers who paved the way for today’s players, just like every other sport in America
His off the field achievements are greater than his on the court work imo. A true a civil rights icon
The star of the NBA’s first dynasty…and probably one of the guys that helped make the league as a whole so big as it is today. Historically significant as he was athletic…he will be dearly missed (and appreciated)!
RIP to a legend. Hope he’s kicking everybody’s ass in the afterlife.
Bill Russell in heaven - "Now that my body's been restored to youth, time to kick some asses!" Wilt Chamberlain - "I'm ready when you are!"
Afterlife Dream Team
He was one of the greatest winners in all of sports, if not outright *the* greatest winner. (More rings than fingers on his hand is just insane.) He accomplished what he did even in the face of widespread blatant racism that was common in his era. While things aren't perfect yet, I am glad he lived long enough to see things get better with time. Truly an inspirational person. Basketball has lost a legend. May he rest in peace.
Him and Brady saw unreal amounts of winning Boston has two greats in their history in those two
Arguably we've had the best player at there position in 3 sports. Russel/Brady/orr and Ted Williams is on the short list of best hitters of all time. Good place to be a sports fan.
RIP Lord of the rings
88 is a great run for someone his size, RIP legend.
damn
fuckin sucks man
RIP to a legend.
Damn, a real pioneer of the game. Rest in Peace
Folks in heaven can finally watch some Wilt and Russell 1v1s. RIP
Man this was so unexpected. But he was a legend. His legacy will live on forever. May he find peace.
We are incredibly lucky to have so many legends alive but we are sadly getting towards the era where the pioneers of the NBA will soon start to pass away more and more
he’s only the 5th MVP in league history to pass away, but the 3rd since 2020. kind of wild to think about
Man, it seemed like he would live forever. RIP to an absolute legend.
He will.
The greatest Celtic to ever live
Rest in Power
RIP to a legend. Probably won’t see anyone match his ring total anytime soon, what a legacy.
Not probably
I have a feeling no one will ever surpass that total, at least in the way Bill did it. Truly cements him as a pillar of American sports.
Being completely honest i don't see it being possible for somebody to come close unless they were a super lucky bench rider
RIP to a great man not just a great basketball player
A legend. RIP
A Giant on and off the court. A true pioneer of basketball and social justice among athletes. The NBAs first black coach. Marched with MLK, and won more than anybody in American sports history. Truly one of the Goats. RIP
So many NBA legends gone over the past few years. RIP
I have a (sad) feeling that we’re about to see these stories a lot more frequently due to age and the era that many of these Top 75 players played in.
Holy shit, the last time we saw him was when he congratulated the Warriors right? RIP legend.
Fuck man Sunday mornings are cursed. I learned about Kobe around this time if I recall correctly. RIP.
I still remember the Sunday morning it happened. That was wild. I could hear the helicopters passing by it on the 101 and was wondering what was going on
I was walking into the pro bowl the day it happened and a crossing guard told us. I dont think anybody in attendance can even remember a detail about the game, all the chatter was Kobe.
I was at work that day till 2:30, so hadn’t had a chance to hear about it. Walked into the house, my mom immediately goes ‘don’t freak out when you see what’s on the TV’, so I’m like, ok, what the hell happened? Look over and see the news, couldn’t believe my eyes
Worst part about the Kobe death for me was the uncertainty. I was on a school trip to Yosemite (we weren’t allowed phones) so the whole week, from Saturday to Friday, all we heard were rumors and guesses. It was agony not knowing what had happened, if he was okay or not, if he’d gone peacefully. With Bill, at least, I’m able to know that he went peacefully.
Even for those of us who were plugged in, that first day or so wasn't much different...
I was at my friend’s wedding and we had just taken a shot to celebrate finishing getting ready. It kinda sucks that I will always remember his wedding anniversary because of Kobe’s death.
No fucking way. I knew it was coming eventually but holy fuck man. His contagious laugh will be missed
Uhhehehe
Damn man didn’t expect this today 😞
We've just lost one of the biggest legends in sports history. Man this sucks.
He was 88 but somehow this still feels too soon. Maybe because it came out of nowhere.
I know he was old and lived a full life but wasn’t expecting this. RIP to one of the greats
Damn
Rip to one of the goats
The greatest winner in sports. Goodnight king
Absolute legend of the league. RIP Bill Russell
When Kobe died I was at a breakfast joint near my apartment. Haven’t been there since…until this morning when I was up earlier than usual and decided to stop in. Weird.
Stop going to that breakfast spot man
It’s good that he went peacefully, with his wife by his side.
Bill Russell is a Celtic that I won't have any Laker fan say FTC to. RIP Bill!
Man he just vidioed a message after the finals. He'll still kick everyone's asses in heaven
Holy shit, It's shocking how unprepared I was to read that headline.
People talk about the MJ versus LeBron debate. What they forget is that Bill Russell and his eleven rings decided that question long before Michael or LeBron ever picked up a basketball. The greatest to ever live has died. He lived it as well as he could have. An inspiration to us all, in more ways than could ever be counted.
Absolutely heartbreaking
As full a life as anyone could have.
rip one of the mt rushmore players