When we ask Paul Pierce to show a photo on his phone that he particularly appreciates, he takes out a picture where he, Kevin Garnett, Ben Wallace and Chris Webber are hanging on the lips of Bill Russell, the former pivot, coach and legend of the Celtics.
“What I remember the most is that we were captivated. He told us stories from when he was playing. He is still up to date with the current game despite his age. He captivated us all. In this photo, we are just listening to him, he amazes us. We have to take advantage of these moments when we find ourselves in these kinds of environments. You see so many people dying right now… So spending time with these kinds of legends, and having those kinds of opportunities and a real honor. ” Paul Pierce.
At 87, Russell has effectively spent more than half of his life. But his charisma, which allowed him to be at Hall of Fame as a player, but also as a coach and who assisted him in his fight against racism, is obviously still intact.
“It was so surreal. He’s a pioneer. Personally, I find that it is not given enough credit at all. He played, he has coached, he fought against the Supreme Court, against the racism of society. It kills me that he doesn’t get as much recognition as he deserves. We also talked about the fact that he was an incredible athlete. He was jumping high and far, he was playing basketball. He could do anything and he did it all. ” Ben Wallace.
“During the Friday dinner (on the occasion of the ceremony of Hall of Fame Ed) he said: “They applaud me.” He is always surprised at the respect shown him, even at this age. This moment when we were together on stage was incredible. I was crying. He’s Bill Russell, someone I admire because he’s fought so many things. Bill Russell was the person everyone called on. They were waiting for Bill to guide them. ” Spencer Haywood.
The pivot received congratulations from Barack Obama himself.
“Bill Russell, perhaps more than anyone else, knows what it takes to win, to be a leader. He has also always been himself off the pitch. Like I said when I gave him the freedom medal, he’s a man who walked with it Martin Luther King and stood alongside Muhammad Ali. He suffered insults, vandalism. But he never stopped speaking up to stand up for what was right. ” Barack Obama.
Via The Undefeated.
Our new video! Consider subscribing.
.
