Celtics legend and 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell died Sunday, his representatives announced in a statement. He was 88 years old.
Russell led the University of San Francisco to two national championships before embarking upon an unparalleled NBA career. The Celtics acquired his rights after the St. Louis Hawks selected him with the No. 2 pick in the 1956 draft, and he led Boston to a run of dominance unmatched in professional sports. Boston won 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons during Russell’s playing career, a stretch that included eight straight from ’59 to ’66. Russell was named the league’s MVP five times in that span.
Russell also was a pioneer for civil rights. His three-year stint as Boston’s player-coach made him the first Black coach in North American professional sports, and the first to win a championship.
