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One of the greatest athletes to ever grace the courts has passed away.
Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion, has died.
Russell was 88 years old.
Legend Gone
The news has just broken that Russell died peacefully on Sunday.
His wife Jeanine was reportedly by his side when he passed.
The family, while not revealing his cause of death, did make a statement:
“But for all the winning, Bill’s understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life.
“From boycotting a 1961 exhibition game to unmask too-long-tolerated discrimination, to leading Mississippi’s first integrated basketball camp in the combustible wake of Medgar [Evers’] assassination, to decades of activism ultimately recognized by his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom … 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.
“Bill’s wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you for keeping Bill in your prayers.
“Perhaps you’ll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark laugh as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded.
“And we hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bill’s uncompromising, dignified and always constructive commitment to principle.
“That would be one last, and lasting, win for our beloved #6.”
His career was like nothing we have ever seen.
He played for 13 years for Boston, went to the NBA finals 12 times, and won 11 championships.
He also won a gold medal in the 1956 Olympics.
A 12-time NBA All-Star, he changed the way the game of basketball was played from a defensive perspective due to his uncanny ability to block shots.
Russel once stated, “I was an innovator.
“I started blocking shots although I had never seen shots blocked before that.
“The first time I did that in a game, my coach called timeout and said, ‘No good defensive player ever leaves his feet.'”
That was advice that Russell clearly ignored.
Rest in peace.
