Bill Russell, who won 11 NBA championships during his Hall of Fame career spent with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday at the age of 88.
Russell’s death was confirmed in a statement posted to his Twitter account that said the 12-time NBA All-Star passed away along with his wife.
The statement read:
“It is with a heavy heart that we would like to pass along all of Bill’s friends, fans and followers:
Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away today at the age of 88 with his wife Jeanine.
“The arrangements for his memorial will be announced soon.
“Bill’s two state championships in high school offered a glimpse of an incomparable run of pure team achievement to come: a two-time NCAA champion; captain of a gold-food winning U.S. Olympic team; 11-time NBA champion; and top-notch for Two NBA championships as the first Black head coach of any North American professional sports team.
Along the way, Bill earned a string of individual awards, which is phenomenal because it went unnoticed by him.
“In 2009, the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award was renamed the ‘Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award,’ after the two-time Hall of Famer.
“But for all the victors, Bill’s understanding of the struggle brightened his life.
“From boycotting the 1961 exhibition game to enduring discrimination for a long time, to leading Mississippi’s first integrated basketball camp in the combustible wake of the murder of Medgar Evans, decades of activism eventually won the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom.” , Bill invoked injustice with an unforgivable candor that he intended would disrupt the status quo, and with a powerful example, though never his humble intention, of teamwork selflessness and thoughtful change. Will inspire you forever.
“Bill’s wife, Jeanine, and many of his friends and family, thank you for keeping Bill in your prayers. Perhaps you relive one or two of the golden moments he had, or the real story. Happy to explain, recalls his trademark laughter behind how those moments unfolded.
“And we hope that each of us can find a new way to act or speak with Bill’s unshakable, respectful and always constructive commitment to principle.
“This will be one last, and lasting, victory for our beloved #6.”
Considered the greatest defensive center in basketball history, Russell turned the Celtics into a powerhouse, winning eight consecutive titles from 1959 to 1966.