Bill Russell, the NBA Legend, civil rights activist, and the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics dynasty that won eight straight titles and 11 overall during his career, has d#ed. The Hall of Famer d#ed on Sunday. He was 88.
Russell d#ed “peacefully” with his wife, Jeannine, at his side, a statement posted on social media read. Arrangements for his memorial service will be announced soon, according to the statement.
The statement did not give the cause of death, but Russell, who had been living in the Seattle area, was not well enough to present the NBA Finals MVP trophy in June because of a long illness.
Since 2009, the NBA Finals MVP has been called the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Award.
During his 13 years in Boston, Russell, who won two NCAA championships, carried the Celtics to the NBA Finals 12 times, winning the championship 11 times, the last two titles won while as both a player and serving as the NBA’s first Black coach.
Russell was the first Black head coach in all of the United States, from all sports teams to win a championship.
A five-time MVP and 12-time All-Star, Russell was an uncanny shot-blocker who revolutionized NBA defensive concepts. He finished with 21,620 career rebounds — an average of 22.5 per game — and led the league in rebounding four times. He had 51 rebounds in one game, 49 in two others, and posted 12 straight seasons with 1,000 or more rebounds. Russell also averaged 15.1 points and 4.3 assists per game over his career.
Until Michael Jordan’s exploits in the 1990s, Russell was considered by many the greatest player in NBA history.