BOSTON – For 13 years Bill Russell terrorized opponents on the court, collecting 12 All-Star nods, five MVP awards and 11 NBA championships. For his efforts, the Celtics enshrined Russell’s No. 6 among those that will never be worn again.
The NBA should do the same.
William Felton Russell died Sunday. He was 88. He died less than two months after Stephen Curry picked up his first Finals MVP—an award that is named in Russell’s honor. The NBA has done much to honor Russell’s legacy. It was David Stern who pulled Russell back into the NBA orbit in the mid-1990s, a decade after Russell’s 58-game stint as Kings coach ended. From there it was All-Star appearances, Finals cameos, even a reunion with Wilt Chamberlain, Russell’s longtime rival.
