Bill Russell is one of the greatest players in the history of basketball. He is the winningest NBA superstar of all time, winning 11 championships with the Boston Celtics.
After Bill Russell passed away, the league decided to retire his number all across the NBA to honor him. Undoubtedly, this was a great way to commemorate his achievements, both on and off the court.
Recently, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James reflected on the NBA’s decision to retire Bill Russell’s number, claiming that “its what should have happened”, adding that the former Celtics center “meant so much to the game”.
"The man meant so much to the game."
LeBron reflects on the NBA retiring Bill Russell's No. 6 and what it means to wear that number. pic.twitter.com/7UghxCEQR2
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 13, 2022
“It wasn’t a shock. I mean, its what should have happened. The man meant so much to the game. Not only to the Boston Celtics, but to the NBA in general. And also off the floor as well. With what he contributed to the Black community, his activism, his speaking, his mind, everything he meant to the game.”
“And it was always a treat seeing him at games, or when I had an opportunity to win championships seeing him up on the panel with me and giving me the Bill Russell award was one of the most delightful moments of my career. Just because I know how much he meant to the game and to the history. So it’s pretty cool and for me to continue to live on his legacy wearing six this year… continue to honor his legacy.”
There’s no doubt Bill Russell contributed a lot to the game, and it is clear that LeBron James knows the impact of what Russell accomplished. It is clear that James is committed to continuing Bill Russell’s legacy as well.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Once Revealed That Bill Russell Inspired Him To Be A Better Player
There is no doubt that LeBron James is far from the only player that respects Bill Russell’s contributions on the basketball court. Bill Russell was an inspirational figure, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar once admitted that he inspired him to be a better player.
It would be awhile before we met again, but I continued to study Bill Russell the way Oppenheimer studied Einstein. I even had a 1956 photo of Bill soaring high into the air during an NCAA high jump while attending the University of San Francisco. The image of Bill with his hands splayed out in front of him as if he were flying made me think that, with hard work, I could also reach those heights. What that must feel like, I wondered, determined to find out. In the photo, Bill has only one shoe on, the other foot covered in a loose sock. To me, that showed his commitment and focus—nothing could shake his will power to win. I realized then how much work I had to do to compete with athletes like him.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was clearly in awe of Bill Russell’s determination, and it is obvious that he was motivated to become the best version of himself after studying Bill Russell.
It is hard to imagine any modern superstars accomplishing what Bill Russell managed to accomplish in terms of winning. It is unlikely for any one player to win 11 championships with one team today, and Bill Russell’s winning legacy is unquestionably set in stone.
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