Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd knew Hall of Fame Boston Celtics big man Bill Russell for most of his life and can be counted among those who would have preferred the NBA had done more to honor the Celtics great while he was still with us, according to recent reporting from Sports Illustrated’s Landon Buford.
“I think it’s incredible that we have an opportunity to honor Bill Russell,” said Kidd after a recent Mavs practice. “Unfortunately, we did lose a great man, but sometimes we should think about honoring people when they are still around, but it’s still the right thing to do, to retire No. 6.”
“I’ve known Bill since I was 10 years old,” Kidd continued. “I’ve been very fortunate to have met him when I was a little kid in the Bay Area because of Jim Hadnot (Jason Kidd’s godfather and a lifelong friend of Russell).
Celtics Lab 144: Talking training camp and setting season goals with Gary Gulman https://t.co/cjnqoMnUaN
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 29, 2022
“He’s always going to be one of my favorite athletes, one of my favorite people to be around, because I was always scared of him.”
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