Bill Russell: The NBA's Greatest Winner Was More Than a Basketball Legend
Eleven NBA championships, an unbeaten record in Game 7s and a fight against racism that made Bill Russell's legacy bigger than basketball.
Athletes World
• Bill Russell, ca. late 1950s.
• Licensed Photo: Everett Collection Inc / Alamy
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In 1969, the Los Angeles Lakers were so confident they would win the NBA championship that they prepared thousands of balloons for their victory celebration.
The balloons, marked "World Champion Lakers," hung above the court before Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Los Angeles had Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, three of basketball's biggest stars.
But Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics had other plans.
Boston won 108–106, leaving the balloons hanging in the rafters. Russell claimed his 11th NBA championship and retired shortly afterward. (NBA, 1969 Finals History)
It was a perfect ending for a player who had spent 13 seasons proving that winning mattered more than individual statistics.
The balloons, marked "World Champion Lakers," hung above the court before Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Los Angeles had Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, three of basketball's biggest stars.
But Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics had other plans.
Boston won 108–106, leaving the balloons hanging in the rafters. Russell claimed his 11th NBA championship and retired shortly afterward. (NBA, 1969 Finals History)
It was a perfect ending for a player who had spent 13 seasons proving that winning mattered more than individual statistics.
