NBA, NBPA announce league will permanently retire No. 6 in honor of Bill Russell
Adam Silver said the move will ensure Bill Russell's career will always be recognized.
www.yahoo.com
Julius Erving approves.
NBA to retire #6 for Bill Russell
- Thread starter psuro
- Start date
www.yahoo.com
Julius Erving approves.
Very appropriate.
NBA, NBPA announce league will permanently retire No. 6 in honor of Bill Russell
Adam Silver said the move will ensure Bill Russell's career will always be recognized.
Julius Erving approves.
Has the NBA retired any other numbers?NBA, NBPA announce league will permanently retire No. 6 in honor of Bill Russell
Adam Silver said the move will ensure Bill Russell's career will always be recognized.
Julius Erving approves.
No.
And that's part of the reason I'm not a fan of the action by the NBA. I wouldn't advocate for the league-wide retirement of any number. Where do you draw the line? Why Russell and not some others? I'm a life-long Sixers fan, so perhaps I'm biased, but I'd retire Wilt's #13 before I'd retire Russell's #. And then you get into the arguments for MJ, Kobe, Lebron, etc.
I have the utmost respect for Bill Russell. I just would not advocate for the league-wide retirement by the NBA of any number.
I don’t like this at all.
Baseball did it with #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson, but I see that differently since Robinson broke the color barrier.
Baseball did it with #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson, but I see that differently since Robinson broke the color barrier.
Silly idea. I’m not a believer in retiring numbers at all but this one makes no sense. No 76er can wear #6 because a great player from their rival wore it? Pretty absurd.
How are they going to honor Wilt? Players no longer allowed to have 8-ways on the road?
I think @Connorpozlee's issue with the NBA action was a good one.
FWIW, the Sixers have retired the following numbers (players in whose honor the numbers were retired in parenthesis):
2 (Moses Malone)
3 (Allen Iverson)
4 (Dolph Schayes)
6 (Dr. J)
10 (Mo Cheeks)
13 (Wilt Chamberlain)
15 (Hal Greer)
24 (Bobby Jones)
32 (Billy Cunningham)
34 (Charles Barkley)
I am a huge Celtics and Russell fan, but I agree with you.
Similarly, was not a fan of PSU retiring 22.
Yeah, for the number to be retired league-wide, it should be because someone transcended the sport for something greater, like Jackie Robinson and 42.
I’ll go out on a limb here and say that I don’t have a problem with the organization (entire NBA) retiring #6. It’s the start of something new; it’s fresh and different, it creates an interest and a synergy. Hopefully, they’ll retire other #’s down the line. It’s a team game, and Bill played it as well, or better, than anyone else with 11 championships over 13 years.
So, getting back to your comment about Robinson transcending the sport. That is a mindset that only took off well after Robinson was finished playing. When he entered into the big leagues, he (and his team) were met with derision and anger by fans and players of other teams.
Yes. But I am honest enough to say that at the time, I would venture to say not too many other players or fans of those teams felt that way.
Ok, that's funny. Have to give you credit. I assume those t-shirts are available at DNC.org, CNBC.com, NPR.com, or CNN.com?Yes. We have t-shirts stating that. I will order one for you.
Agreed!
League-wide retirements plus team retirements (think of all the numbers the Yankees have retired) ... and you end up with guys having to wear 99, 65, etc ... pretty soon these will run out too and we'll (well maybe not in our lifetimes) be seeing players with 1/2, 2/3, e, π, ...
Honest enough to say? Do you think there are a lot of people that don’t know that was the case? I guess maybe young people. It’s pretty well documented though.
I think they do know it's the case. But they won't actually admit to it. They want to not think about it - regardless of generation.
Fun thread.
Don't want to think about it - or just think it's time to MOVE ON? This self flagellation has got to stop. Does this help us as a nation, or just serve to further divide us? Every society on the planet is or was racist. Let's focus on the progress we've made for a change. Seriously, what's the point of the constant drumbeat of negativity on this issue?
That said - fine /w retiring Russell's jersey (although I still think the best #6 of all time was Dr. J)
I am not the one prolonging this. But, I wil answer the question you asked.
The "point" is that by "moving on" and not recognizing the issues of the time, it (sticking with the United States).
1) Makes it clear that certain parts of US History are to be ignored, while other parts of US History are celebrated.
2) The group of people who want to move on and not discuss are the ones who are most uncomfortable with a narrative they cannot control. This is no different than the other thread about the OU coach who got fired for "that word".
I will let you take the lead on whether you wish to continue this topic. I will only react to your lead (aka letting to you control the narrative).
By the way, the t-shirts are on national back order - it will be a few weeks.
But it's not ignored. Maybe it was, ok, - you can't say it is now. The whole racist nation narrative is everywhere and a lot of people are sick of the force-feeding. CNN/ MSNBC / NPR - I swear half their stories have some element of this theme. Libs dwell and obsess far more over the negative in American history than over the innumerable positives. They act like one is a rube or a redneck if he displays any hint of patriotism...you know, because this is a horrible racist nation.
FWIW / frame of reference - I'm as un-MAGA as possible and have always despised Trump and never voted for the Orange Freak. That said - I'm not voting for the party the keeps implying that I and all white males are racists.
Ok, now I think I'll just "move on."
Eh, don't like it. Like Joe used to say, when you single out certain players then others feel slighted at what you didn't say or do. Nothing against Russell, he was one of the all time greats. But this feels over the top to me. Is the NBA going to retire 23 for Jordan for all teams too? This sets a silly precedent.
Sure, and overcoming that and putting up with what he did to help move us forward as a country for good transcends the sport and is why his number being retired league-wide makes sense to me. I’m not sure what your point is. I didn’t say “transcends the sport as appreciated fully by all of the public at the time it was happening.”
We already have in baseball. Eddie Gaedel’s jersey, bearing the uniform number "1⁄8", is displayed in the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Just in case:
Edward Carl Gaedel was the smallest player to appear in a Major League Baseball game. Gaedel gained recognition in the second game of a St. Louis Browns doubleheader on August 19, 1951. Weighing 60 pounds and standing 3 feet 7 inches tall, he became the shortest player in the history of the Major Leagues.Wikipedia
Born: June 8, 1925, Chicago, IL
Died: June 18, 1961, Chicago, IL
Height: 3′ 7″
Base on balls: 1
On-base percentage: 1.000
Stats
| Year | Team | GP | AB | R | H | RBI | BB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | St L Browns | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Career | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |