The sports world lost a trailblazing icon Sunday with the death of 11-time NBA champion and basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell at the age of 88.
Universally regarded as one of the greatest and most important players in the sport’s history, Russell forged an indelible legacy during his 13-year NBA career, winning 11 titles and five MVPs with the Celtics from 1956 to ’69. Among Russell’s countless achievements both on and off the floor, the two-time Naismith Hall of Fame inductee and 2011 Presidential Medal of Freedom winner forever altered the course of sports history in 1966 by becoming the first black head coach in North American sports—a role he served in while captaining Boston to two more titles in his final three seasons.
After news of Russell’s death broke Sunday morning, tributes poured in from athletes and personalities across the globe in honor of the basketball legend and civil rights pioneer:
