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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Andy Nesbitt

NBA players and fans paid tributes to Bill Russell, who passed away at age 88

It’s a sad day for basketball fans everywhere as the great Bill Russell, the winner of 11 NBA titles in his 13-year career with the Boston Celtics, died Sunday at age 88, his family announced on social media.

Russell, who also won two NBA titles as head coach of the Celtics, is one of the greatest players in basketball history and has the NBA Finals MVP award named after him. He was a five-time NBA MVP, 12-time All-Star, and a Hall of Famer.

In 2011 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from president Obama for his many years of civil rights activism that helped lead to huge societal changes.

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