The tragic passing of Bill Russell has hit the NBA world like a storm, with tributes pouring in for one of the most iconic players in the history of the game. Russell is the most decorated champion in American sports league history, winning 11 championships with the Boston Celtics.
Russell was a stand-out defensive player and made sure that the Celtics were always in a position to pull off wins whenever required. His incredible record of winning NBA Championships speaks for itself. Outside his play on the court, Russell was a civil rights leader and fought opposition not only on the NBA court but in the streets of Boston too.
Russell made Boston the most successful team in NBA history during his reign, with his championship total not being matched by anyone since his retirement. In fact, Russell has won more championships than 28 teams in the league, outside the Lakers and the Celtics. The closes team to his championship total of 11 is the Golden State Warriors, who won their 7th title this season.
Bill Russell won at least 50% more championships than 28 other NBA franchises have ever won.
He won 11 in 13 seasons. The Lakers are the only other team with more than 7.
— Zach Kram (@zachkram) July 31, 2022
This is an absolutely incredible record. Only one team can win a title every year and we have seen some of the greatest players of all time struggle to win 1 or 2 titles. However, Russell made it a point to never come up short in a title-winning situation and has gotten these accomplishments as a result.
The Lakers and Celtics have both won 17 titles each, with Russell winning 11 of the Celtics’ 17 titles as a player. 2 of those titles came with Bill serving as player-coach in 1968 and 1969.
It will be impossible for some other player to match what Russell achieved. However, it is possible for a team to slowly ascend and win more than 11 championships. It will take a long time, further reinforcing the point of Russell’s dominance over the league.
