Camila Vega
Former Celtics player Bill Russell passed away on Sunday, July 31. His death was announced on his official Twitter account. Below, we tell you about his legacy and the reactions to his passing.
Announcement of Bill Russell’s Death
It is with a very heavy heart that we would like to pass along to all of Bill’s friends, fans and followers: Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully today at the age of 88, with his wife, Jeannine, by his side. Arrangements for his memorial service will be announced soon.
Bill’s two state championships in high school offered a glimpse of the team’s unparalleled streak of pure achievement to come: two-time NCAA champion; captain of a gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Team; 11-time NBA champion; and at the helm for two NBA championships as the first black head coach of any American professional sports team.
Along the way, Bill earned a string of individual awards that stands unprecedented, as it went unmentioned by him. In 2009, the award for the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player was renamed after two-time Hall of Famer as the “Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.”
But for all the winning, Bill’s understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life.
From boycotting a 1961 exhibition game to unmask discrimination tolerated for too long, to leading Mississippi’s first integrated basketball camp in the wake of Medgar Evans’s assasination [Evers], to decades of activism finally recognized by his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom….
Bill called out injustice with an unforgiving candor that was intended to 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 remember his trademark laugh as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded.
And we hope that 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 a last and lasting victory for our beloved #6.
Reactions From the Sports World on the Passing of Bill Russell
Bill Russell’s legacy
Bull Russell was essential to NBA history, winning 2 consecutive NCAA championships, a 1956 Olympic Gold medal and 11 NBA Championships (2 as player-coach). He was an activist for the rights of the black community in the United States and suffered many forms of racist violence himself.
Throughout his 13 years in Boston, he led the Celtics to the NBA Finals 12 times, winning the championship 11 times: the last two titles he won as a player and serving as the NBA’s first black head coach.
“For decades, Bill endured insults and vandalism, but never let it stop him from speaking up for what’s right,” Obama said in a statement Sunday. “I learned so much from the way he played, the way he coached, and the way he lived his life.” This is what the former president had to say about Bill Russell’s legacy.
