NBA champ and Celtics legend Bill Russell dies at 88
Bill Russell, the Boston Celtics legend who won 11 NBA titles — including two as player-coach — and was pro basketball's first Black head coach, died on Sunday. He was 88.
In a statement, Russell's family said his wife, Jeannine, was by his side, and thanked fans for "keeping Bill in your prayers." They added it was their "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."
The 6-foot-10 center had a prolific career that began in college, when he led the University of San Francisco's basketball team to NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956. He won gold with Team USA at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, and played with the Celtics from 1956 to 1969. He was a five-time Most Valuable Player and 12-time All-Star, and in 1980, basketball writers voted him the greatest player in NBA history. In 2011, former President Barack Obama awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Russell was a civil rights activist who attended the March on Washington in 1963 and supported Muhammad Ali when he refused the Vietnam War draft. "Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: The values of equality, respect, and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 24, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - taped bananas, flying monkeys, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The Spanish cop, 20 million euros and 13 tonnes of cocaine
In the Spotlight Óscar Sánchez Gil, Chief Inspector of Spain's Economic and Tax Crimes Unit, has been arrested for drug trafficking
By The Week UK Published
-
5 hilarious cartoons about the rise and fall of Matt Gaetz
Cartoons Artists take on age brackets, backbiting, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Europe roiled by attacks on Israeli soccer fans
Speed Read Israeli fans supporting the Maccabi Tel Aviv team clashed with pro-Palestinian protesters in 'antisemitic attacks,' Dutch authorities said
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
New York wins WNBA title, nearly nabs World Series
Speed Read The Yankees with face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the upcoming Fall Classic
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
LeBron, Bronny James make dad-son NBA debut
Speed Read Basketball star LeBron James and his son LeBron Jr. made history by playing together in the Lakers' preseason game
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The economics of taxpayer-subsidized stadiums
In Depth Shiny new stadiums can end up costing taxpayers billions
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Caitlin Clark the No. 1 pick in bullish WNBA Draft
Speed Read As expected, she went to the Indiana Fever
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is legalized betting hurting sports?
Today's Big Question A 'building avalanche of gambling scandals' threatens competition
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
South Carolina ends perfect season with NCAA title
Speed Read The women's basketball team won a victory over superstar Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published