Remembering Bill Russell

The world just lost a legend.

On Sunday, Bill Russell passed away at the age of 88. His personal Twitter account issued a statement stating that he passed away peacefully with his wife, Jeannine, by his side. It detailed all of the great things Russell has done for the game of basketball and sent one very clear message:

“Perhaps you’ll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark laugh as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded. And we hope each of us can find a new way to speak up with Bill’s uncompromising, dignified, and always constructive commitment to principle. That would be one last, and lasting, win for our beloved #6.”

In honor of Russell, that’s exactly what we’re going to do. As Dr. Seuss said, “don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” And while the basketball world will be grieving for a long while, let’s take a look at all of the amazing things Russell did for the basketball community and beyond.

And let’s smile.

While Russell’s legacy will always be interwoven with the NBA and the game of basketball, the most important thing he ever did was be himself. Throughout his life, Russell wasn’t just a great basketball player, he wasn’t just an amazing winner, but he was one of the most important figures in the world of social justice.

Russell’s career stretched from 1956 to 1969 - the heart of the Civil Rights Movement. Despite being one of the greatest basketball players of all time, he was constantly questioned. Even when he became the first African American head coach in the history of major professional sports, Russell was posed with an awful question that he wasn’t even willing to answer.

“I remember at the press conference,” Russell explained to The New York Times in 2011, “probably the second or third question one of the Boston reporters asked me, ‘Can you coach the white guys without being prejudiced?’ Now, I didn’t recall anybody asking a white coach if he could coach the black guys without being prejudiced. All I said was, ‘Yeah.’ ”

In 2011, Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. During his speech, Obama perfectly detailed how Russell’s impact went far beyond the bounds of a basketball court.

“[When a person goes up to Russell] and asks, ‘are you a basketball player?’ Surprisingly, he gets this more than you’d think. This question. He says, ‘no.’ He says, ‘that’s what I do, not what I am. I’m not a basketball player. I’m a man who plays basketball.

Bill Russell, the man, is someone who stood up for the rights and dignity of all men. He marched with [Martin Luther] King [Jr.]. He stood by [Muhammad] Ali. When a restaurant refused to serve the Black Celtics, he refused to play in the scheduled game.

He endured insults and vandalism, but he kept on focusing on making the teammates, who he loved, better players. And made possible the success of so many who would follow. And I hope that one day, in the streets of Boston, children will look up at a statue built not only to Bill Russell, the player, but Bill Russell, the man.”

Basketball is a game. Played to be enjoyed by those who partake and those who have the privilege of watching. Russell dominated that game, winning 11 championships as a player and two as a coach.

But Russell’s impact on our society as a man far outweighed anything he accomplished on the basketball court. All of the actions taken by Russell, as noted by Obama, helped pave the way for social justice efforts in the world of sports and in the world in general. And that’s more important than any championship could ever be.

Russell’s Celtics refused to play when they weren’t served at a coffee shop in Kentucky in 1961. Russell’s Celtics were the first team to boast a starting lineup of five African American men in 1964. Russell’s Celtics marked the first team ever to be led by an African American head coach in 1966.

In August of 2020, the Milwaukee Bucks led the rest of the NBA in a walkout after the shooting of Jacob Blake by Wisconsin police officers. Russell took to Twitter to let the world know how proud he was of the players and their willingness to take a stand.

In September of that same year, Russell sat down with Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who put Russell’s impact on basketball and life into perspective.

“Because of you, it is okay to be an activist and an athlete,” Brown said to Russell. “Because of you, kids that look like you believe that they can win. Because of you, there is a standard for being a human being and being an athlete. Because of you, it is okay to be more than just a basketball player. Because of you, I am proud to be a Celtic.”

Russell’s transcendence in the game of basketball is what helped people hear his messages. Russell’s transcendence in the game of life is what made him a special human being.

And, of course, there was his laugh.

Perhaps the most contagious laugh on the planet, Russell never failed to give those he spoke to a massive boost of serotonin. When he was awarded the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, Russell cracked a joke on stage that brought a smile to basketball fans’ faces everywhere.

Then there was the time Wilt Chamberlain poked fun at when Russell joined him for Thanksgiving. The story begins at 6:17.

And if that wasn’t enough laughter, here’s another clip to enjoy.

76ers being investigated for tampering

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Philadelphia 76ers are being investigated for tampering in regards to the signing of PJ Tucker, as well as the rest of the free agency class.

He also noted that some people around the league have wondered whether or not Harden's willingness to take a discounted deal this upcoming season could mean he already has a deal in place with the team to earn more money in the future.

Zion's deal has "weight clause"

This offseason, superstar Zion Williams signed a massive contract extension with the New Orleans Pelicans despite having only appeared in 85 NBA games over the course of three seasons. The deal will be for five years and could range anywhere from $193 million to $231 million with incentives.

However, the biggest news to come from the story is that the contract has a "weight clause." Rod Walker of NOLA.com wrote this:

"According to league sources, the new extension Williamson signed earlier in July has stipulations centered around his health and conditioning.

The sum of his weight and body fat percentage must be under 295, a source confirmed to The Times-Picayune. If he doesn’t meet that, the guaranteed money in the contract he signed on his 22nd birthday can be reduced."

Christian Clark of NOLA.com followed up on Walker's story with more details here. Williamson will have weigh-ins with the team in order to keep his health in check.

Why the Kevin Durant trade talks have stalled and where they go from here - Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks (ESPN)

Warriors face a more urgent financial choice than Draymond Green extension - Connor Letourneau (San Francisco Chronicle)

NYC Point Gods: Swag, showmanship and charisma all on display in new documentary - Jason Jones (The Athletic)

How Ish Wainright’s game evolved to be the perfect complement on a contender - Damon Allred (Bright Side of the Sun)

Collin Sexton is being squeezed - Chris Manning (Fear the Sword)

Remember to smile as you remember the life of Russell. The man who didn’t even want his jersey retired, saying that “I’m not that type of guy.” The man who didn’t want a statue of him to be built “because it reminded him of a tomb and was an easy target for pigeons.”

There aren't enough good things to say about Russell and what he was able to do for the world in his 88 years of life. The game of basketball will never be the same because of him, and more importantly, neither will our society. And it's the latter of those two that matters the most.

Any player can have the stats and accolades to be a great basketball player, but no one can match the impact Russell had in our world. He was truly one of a kind and will be missed dearly.

Rest in Peace, Bill.

That'll be it for us. Thanks for reading. See y'all next time.

- Jack Simone

Trivia Answer: The answer to Friday's trivia question is Jamal Crawford! He scored 19,419 points in 1,327 games played. And of course, he made sure to drop 51 points in his final NBA game back in 2019. (We'll forget the one game he played with the Nets in The Bubble.)

Trivia Question: Russell and Wilt Chamberlain are the only players to ever grab over 20,000 rebounds over the course of their careers. Who is the NBA's active leader in total rebounds?