The number 6 worn by NBA legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell, who died in late July, will be permanently retired from all franchise venues starting next season, the North American Basketball League announced Thursday. In addition, all players will wear a commemorative crest on their shirt and each court of the thirty teams will display a special logo, in the shape of a trefoil.
For the first time, a jersey number will be permanently retired throughout the NBA, which also means it will never be assigned to any other players. Those who already wear it, like LeBron James, can however keep it.
“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the court and his pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way”said Adam Silver, boss of the instance. “The permanent removal of his number 6 from all NBA team halls ensures that Bill’s transcendent career is always recognized”he added.
“It is a supreme honor reserved for one of the greatest champions of all time”said Tamika Tremaglio, executive director of the NBPA, the players’ union with which the NBA made its decision.
The Celtics, for whom Russell has played his entire career and which he has coached, will reserve an additional tribute to him, not yet revealed, which will be displayed on their jersey.
Russell was a Boston player for thirteen seasons, from 1956 to 1969, during which he earned a reputation as the ultimate winner, through his tough defensive play. His impressive track record, with eleven titles, a record that still stands, including eight in a row from 1959 to 1966, will probably never be equaled. He was also the first black American named at the head of a franchise of an American professional sport and the first to be crowned champion, in his second year (1967).
Finally, it is also outside the basketball courts that Russell has become a figure in American society, using his notoriety to advance the cause of civil rights. This earned him in 2011, from the hands of Barack Obama, then President of the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest American civilian distinction.
