Bill Russell, NBA legend and Boston Celtics legend, has died

Legendary American center Bill Russell, legend of the Boston Celtics and the player who won the NBA ring the most (11), has died at the age of 88, his family confirmed in a statement on Sunday.

Bill Russell achieved perfection with the Boston Celtics, a franchise in which he became a legend between 1967 and 1969, winning 11 championships in his 13 seasons in the NBA, more than any other player.

The former player became a true institution and forged an unrepeatable career. With an enviable record as a member of the Hall of Fame, Russell was a 12-time All-Star and a 4-time rebounding leader. Some figures that earned him to proclaim himself the ‘MVP’ of the Finals in recognition of his incredible career.

His memorable figure also went down in history for becoming the first African-American coach in the NBA, taking the reins of the Celtics in 1966, a team that retired his number ‘6’ in 1972. Beyond his successes on the court, Russell was the image of the NBA in relation to civil rights and against racism. Someone who stood up to injustice and took advantage of his position to change things.

The family remembered the legacy of the legendary center and his active in the fight for human rights. between the stories, they highlighted Russell’s boycott of an exhibition match in 1961 to expose discrimination “tolerated for too long,” to leading Mississippi’s first integrated basketball camp.

Some actions that were recognized with the award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010, after Bill denounced injustice with “relentless frankness” and with a “powerful” example that was never his “humble intention”, according to his loved ones.

The world of basketball mourns his death

“Bill was the greatest champion in all of team sports and he stood for something much greater. than the sport: the values ​​of equality, respect and inclusion that he imprinted in the DNA of our league,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

“Despite the taunts, threats and unthinkable odds, Bill rose above it all and stayed true to his belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity,” added Silver.

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) mourned the loss of the American and also sent condolences to his family. In the same way as the former Spanish player Pau Gasol, who highlighted his contribution to basketball as “one of the most dominant players” and whom he had “the honor” of meeting. “Thank you for everything you have given to the game and to all of us. Rest in peace,” he noted.

*With information from Europa Press.

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