Bill Russell is a true living legend. The former Celtics star is one of the greatest and most successful players in NBA history, a man who won 11 NBA championships in the span of just 13 years. And since his retirement, Russell has been a proud ambassador for the NBA, a role that he carries out to this day.
Russell is often spotted at monumental NBA events. Most notably, Russell appears at every NBA Finals to present the Finals MVP trophy, named after him, to the best player on the championship team. Russell is one of the finest ambassadors the NBA has to this day. But there is one significant event this year that Russell will not be making an appearance at.
Bill Russell took to Twitter to share a statement regarding his involvement with the upcoming 2022 NBA All-Star Game, one of the NBA’s most popular events. Russell explained that while he has always tried to be at the game, this year, he feels like he cannot take that risk, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and at his age, Russell is more vulnerable than most to the symptoms of the disease.
Regarding @NBAAllStar 2022 this was a very difficult decision for us. @NBA #NBA75 #NBAALLSTAR2022 #ALLSTARWEEKEND @BleacherReport @espn pic.twitter.com/T0uoQfKLLn
— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) February 15, 2022
“I was proud to play in 12 All-Star Games, and have been lucky to attend so many as a fan, so I don’t lightly make the decision to miss one – especially the one marking our League’s 75th anniversary. But I don’t take anything about COVID lightly either, so I’m staying cautious and doing my best to stay healthy and will watch this year’s game from home. My thanks to the NBA for doing a great job with its COVID protocols, and for respecting my decision this particular year. Stay safe everybody, and enjoy the game.”
Given Russell’s pedigree as a player, and his status as a legend, his presence at the game will be sorely missed. But his health is the most important thing, and fans will understand why Russell is not going to be at the game. We can hope that Russell will make an appearance at the NBA Finals this year, and return to the All-Star game next season.
It will be strange to have an All-Star game without one of the game’s biggest legends in attendance for the first time in a long time. But we can rest assured that Bill Russell will be watching the game and cheering on from the safety and the comfort of his house.
