RIP Bill Russell, the original GOAT
When I texted a friend and fellow 1950s-60s Boston Celtics fan that legendary center and coach Bill Russell --- the glue that kept those teams together -- had passed on Sunday at the age of 88, he texted back the following:
"Greatest winner in team sports history. 11 titles in 13 years. Two NCAA titles. Gold medal in the Olympics. Way more titles than Babe Ruth. Or (Michael) Jordan or even Tom Brady."
I couldn't agree with him more, and I texted back the following:
"He was the original GOAT! And a decent human being. Celts don't win 11 of 13 without him."
"Greatest winner in team sports history. 11 titles in 13 years. Two NCAA titles. Gold medal in the Olympics. Way more titles than Babe Ruth. Or (Michael) Jordan or even Tom Brady."
I couldn't agree with him more, and I texted back the following:
"He was the original GOAT! And a decent human being. Celts don't win 11 of 13 without him."
Indeed, they do not.
My belief in Russell being the greatest of all time, even ahead of Brady and Jordan, has nothing to do with me approaching 70 in a couple of weeks, but everything to do with Russell's legacy.
He not only set records that will be hard to be beat --- he and his arch-rival Wilt Chamberlain still hold the No. 1 and No. 2 all-time rebounding records --- but he was a leader on and off the court at a time when being Black and living in Boston meant he had to deal with his share of prejudice. Even though he wasn't the first Black player in the NBA --- Chuck Cooper of the Celtics holds that distinction thanks to Red Auerbach --- Russell was the pre-eminent superstar in a town that was slow to warm up to Black athletes at the time.
But all Russell did was win, win, win --- and win some more. In an era in Boston sports when the Bruins, Red Sox (before 1967) and the-then fledgling AFL Boston Patriots were perennial losers, the Celtics were perennial winners. Their ability to win championships got them compared to the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL and the dreaded New York Yankees of the 1950s and early 1960s.
Led by Russell and Auerbach and a supporting cast of NBA Hall of Famers, the Celtics just won --- and won some more.
But Russell is rightfully being remembered for his off-the-court leadership. In a time when athletes were supposed to be quiet, he marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., he spoke up for Muhammad Ali when he had his heavyweight title stripped because he refused to be drafted into the Army during the height of the Vietnam War and he played a key role in forming the NBA players' union.
Stories are everywhere online and will be in Monday's newspapers about Russell, but as a fan of those great Celtics' teams, I want to extend a hearty thank you to Russell for being a great athlete who made the Celtics the winners that they were, and for being such a caring individual and leader on and off the court.
The Celtics, the NBA and today's professional athletes would not have made the strides that they've made without Russell.
My belief in Russell being the greatest of all time, even ahead of Brady and Jordan, has nothing to do with me approaching 70 in a couple of weeks, but everything to do with Russell's legacy.
He not only set records that will be hard to be beat --- he and his arch-rival Wilt Chamberlain still hold the No. 1 and No. 2 all-time rebounding records --- but he was a leader on and off the court at a time when being Black and living in Boston meant he had to deal with his share of prejudice. Even though he wasn't the first Black player in the NBA --- Chuck Cooper of the Celtics holds that distinction thanks to Red Auerbach --- Russell was the pre-eminent superstar in a town that was slow to warm up to Black athletes at the time.
But all Russell did was win, win, win --- and win some more. In an era in Boston sports when the Bruins, Red Sox (before 1967) and the-then fledgling AFL Boston Patriots were perennial losers, the Celtics were perennial winners. Their ability to win championships got them compared to the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL and the dreaded New York Yankees of the 1950s and early 1960s.
Led by Russell and Auerbach and a supporting cast of NBA Hall of Famers, the Celtics just won --- and won some more.
But Russell is rightfully being remembered for his off-the-court leadership. In a time when athletes were supposed to be quiet, he marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., he spoke up for Muhammad Ali when he had his heavyweight title stripped because he refused to be drafted into the Army during the height of the Vietnam War and he played a key role in forming the NBA players' union.
Stories are everywhere online and will be in Monday's newspapers about Russell, but as a fan of those great Celtics' teams, I want to extend a hearty thank you to Russell for being a great athlete who made the Celtics the winners that they were, and for being such a caring individual and leader on and off the court.
The Celtics, the NBA and today's professional athletes would not have made the strides that they've made without Russell.
RIP, Bill.
You were the greatest --- and one of a kind.
You were the greatest --- and one of a kind.
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