There has literally never been an NBA player like Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell.
Russell, who passed away in July, played from 1956 to 1969 in the league, completely devoted to the Celtics the entire time.
He achieved a lot during his career but one feat is still untouched: he won 11 Finals during his 13 seasons.
Be on the lookout for a special tribute to Bill Russell on the parquet this season ☘️ pic.twitter.com/Pt6IoZbekx
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 19, 2022
The entire NBA will miss Russell and he leaves a massive void because of his historic tenure in the league and his impact on the other players who came after him.
As a sign of respect, the Celtics have placed a giant number 6 on the court, where it will remain all season long.
This is just one way that the Celtics and the NBA will pay respect to the late legend.
Remembering Russell
It’s not just the Celtics who are making moves to pay homage to Russell.
In fact, the NBA took the unprecedented step of retiring the number 6 for every single team across the league.
While there are still some players who wear that number, no one else will ever get it and once current players hang up that number, it’ll never get used again.
The league has also promised other memorials for Russell, which have yet to be announced.
The Celtics will also do other things during the 2022-23 season to commemorate him.
Russell’s influence on the league and the players who populate it is unquestionable and massive.
Not only did he set records with the work he did on the court, but he also was very outspoken and was one of the first major athletes to speak his mind and openly protest what he saw as injustices.
Russell changed the game, it’s as simple as that.
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