NBA legend Bill Russell dead at 88

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 21: Basketball Hall of Fame member Bill Russell attends a game between the Minnesota Lynx and the Las Vegas Aces at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on July 21, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Aces defeated the Lynx 79-74. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

by: Jack Baudoin

Posted: Jul 31, 2022 / 12:48 PM CDT

Updated: Jul 31, 2022 / 12:48 PM CDT

(WTVO) — Bill Russell, one of the most prolific players in NBA history, has passed away at 88.

The news came from Russell’s Twitter early Sunday afternoon. Russell won 11 NBA championships over his 13 years as a Center for the Boston Celtics, as well as being named a two-time NCAA champion and captain of the gold-medal-winning US Olympic team.

Russell also made history as the first Black head coach of any North American professional sports team, leading the Celtics to two NBA championships. In 2009, the award for the NBA finals most valuable player was renamed as the “Bill Russel NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award” in honor of the two-time Hall of Famer.

A champion on and off the court, Russell was a strong voice for civil rights. From boycotting a 1961 exhibition game to unmask discrimination to leading Mississippi’s first integrated basketball camp, decades of activism lead to Russell receiving a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010.

Bill leaves behind his wife Jeannine and three kids.