The sports world was stunned to hear that Legend Bill Russell passed away at 88. As basketball fans, we like debating who is the greatest basketball player of all time, but no discussion is complete without including Bill Russell. During his playing career, he won 11 championships, a milestone that we will almost certainly never see again in basketball. His accomplishments on the basketball court do not end there; he was a five-time league MVP, a two-time NCAA champion at the University of San Francisco, and an Olympic gold medalist in 1965. Additional extraordinary milestones of this great basketball player that most people are unaware of include being a part of the first major college lineup with three black players, in 1964 he was a part of the NBA's first lineup to start five black athletes, and in 1966 Mr. Russell became the first black head coach of any North American professional sports team. Based on his records and statistics, Mr.Bill Russell is the pinnacle of a legend.
Mr. Russell was much more than a basketball player; he was an ICON who set the path for future African Americans and athletes. Bill Russell helped lead a walkout of black Celtics and Hawks players in 1961 after they were refused service at the Phoenix Hotel in Lexington, Kentucky. Keep in mind that black athletes promoting change were not a common occurrence or acceptable at the time. Regardless of the backlash, Bill Russell and the other black athletes recognized that this was crucial in implementing change not just in Kentucky, but also all over the world. His efforts did not end there, as he supported Muhammad Ali's refusal to be drafted into a war against Vietnam. His greatness extended beyond the basketball floor as a Civil Rights Hero and Humanitarian who tirelessly battled for justice in the face of racism. There is virtually no doubt that he blazed the path for the great African American athletes who succeeded him in the years that followed. Bill Russell is one of the most significant athletes of all time, since the landscape of sports, and even the world, would be very different without his presence and determination. He may be gone but his legacy will live forever!
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