NBA great, Celtics legend Bill Russell dies at age 88

The world just lost an all-time great, both on and off the floor.

NBA Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtics legend, Bill Russell, died peacefully at the age of 88. A statement posted to social media on Sunday afternoon says that Russell passed alongside his wife Jeannine. He was an 11-time NBA Champion on the court with the Celtics during the franchise’s dynastic run in the 1950s and 60s and was an avid civil rights activist off of it.

No cause of death was given. Russell was notably absent during the NBA Finals MVP trophy presentation in June, citing a long illness as the reason why he could not attend.

An announcement… pic.twitter.com/KMJ7pG4R5Z

— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) July 31, 2022

In the immediate aftermath of the news, the entire basketball world stopped to pay its respects. The likes of Michael Jordan and Barack Obama took time to recognize Russell’s impact as a player and as a person. Kentucky head coach John Calipari offered words of grief, as well.

“RIP to Bill Russell, a great winner and leader, who was arguably the most important trailblazer our game has ever seen,” Calipari wrote on social media. “He was a legend on and off the court and left us all in awe of his greatness. RIP.”

Russell’s on-court success is well-documented. He won 11 titles in 13 seasons with the Celtics spanning from 1957 until 1969. He was even the head coach of the franchise during his final three seasons as a player, winning the 1968 and 1969 NBA championships. Russell earned five league MVPs during his career, made 12 All-Star Games, and is widely regarded as one of the top 10 players of all time.

During his time in the NBA, Russell averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 44.0 percent from the floor. Blocks weren’t a recordable stat in this era, although it’s been said that he swatted “at least six to eight” shots every contest.

But his impact off the hardwood might have been more influential. He was the NBA’s first-ever Black head coach and the first Black player inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1975). Russell famously led a boycott in Lexington, KY after a few of his Black Celtics teammates were denied service at a local restaurant ahead of the 1960-61 season. He played a major role in integrating the sport and was later awarded with the Presidental Medal of Freedom in 2011 by then-President Barack Obama.

Rest in Peace to one of basketball’s pioneers.