La National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) have announced that they will pay tribute to the life and legacy of the 11-time NBA champion and civil rights pioneer Bill Russell, permanently withdrawing his uniform number, 6, throughout the league. The iconic member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will be the first player to have his number retired in the entire NBA.
“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the pitch and his pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and epochal way,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver. “By permanently retiring his number 6 in all NBA teams, Bill’s outstanding career will always be recognized.”
“This is an honor reserved for one of the greatest champions who have ever played”, Tamika said Tremaglioexecutive director of the NBPA. “Bill’s actions on and off the pitch have contributed, throughout his life, to train new generations of players for the better, and we will always be grateful to him for that. We are proud to continue to celebrate his life and his legacy together with the Lega ”.
In addition to picking up Russell’s number, the NBA will pay tribute to the Boston Celtics legend throughout the 2022-23 season. All NBA players will wear a commemorative patch on the right shoulder of their jersey and each NBA court will display a trefoil logo with the number 6 on the sideline near the scorer’s table. The Celtics, whom Russell has played for his entire career and who he has coached, will have a special award for him on their uniforms, to be announced shortly.
Russell’s jersey number, which he wore for all of his 13 seasons from 1956 to 1969, will no longer be assigned by any NBA team to players. Those who currently wear the number 6 will be able to keep it that way.
Considered the quintessential winner and model teammate, Russell transformed the game with his dominant defense and elegant mid-position athleticism. He hit a record 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons, having twice won the National Championship at the University of San Francisco (1955 and 1956) and a gold medal with the United States Men’s Olympic Basketball Team (1956). ). Russell, who drove Boston in eight consecutive NBA championships from 1959 to 1966, he was synonymous with success to the point that in 2009 the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award was named after him.
His myriad of accomplishments include five NBA Most Valuable Player awards, 12 NBA All-Star selections, and 11 All-NBA Team honors. Russell was named to all four NBA anniversary teams (25th, 35th, 50th, and 75th) and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. Four-time NBA rebounding champion, ranks second in the history of the league for total rebounds (21,620) and rebounds per game (22.5) in the regular season. The Celtics retired his number 6 shirt in 1972.
Russell’s impact on the NBA extends far beyond his playing achievements. In 1966 he was hired by the Celtics as the first black head coach in the history of the NBA and major US professional sports. As a player and head coach, he led Boston to two NBA championships in 1968 and 1969.
During and after his extraordinary basketball career, Russell passionately upheld the values of equality, respect and inclusion. He marched for civil rights with activist Martin Luther King Jr. and was adamant that all people should be treated with dignity. In 2010, Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, for his athletic achievements and his lifelong commitment to social justice.
