The NBA is paying the last word tribute to the late Bill Russell, asserting Thursday that it’ll completely retire his No. 6 throughout the league.
Russell, an 11-time champion with the Boston Celtics, turns into the primary NBA participant to have his quantity retired league-wide.
“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned in an announcement Thursday.
“Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognized.”
Players who’re at the moment carrying No. 6 will probably be allowed to proceed utilizing the quantity. LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Quentin Grimes of the Knicks are among the many gamers who wore No. 6 final season.
Russell died late final month at age 88. His No. 6 was beforehand retired by the Celtics in 1972.
The Hall-of-Fame heart averaged 15.1 factors and 22.5 rebounds per sport throughout his profession from 1956 to 1969, enjoying every of his 13 seasons with the Celtics.
A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player, Russell received his ultimate two titles as a player-coach with Boston. He was the primary Black coach in skilled crew sports activities in North America, and the primary to win a championship.
Russell’s quantity is the third in U.S. skilled crew sports activities to be retired league-wide, following Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 within the MLB and Wayne Gretzky’s No. 99 within the NHL.
The NBA may also honor Russell throughout the 2022-23 season by including clover-shaped logos that includes No. 6 on each courtroom within the NBA, in addition to commemorative patches on each crew’s jersey, the league and the National Basketball Players Association mentioned in Thursday’s announcement.
“This is a momentous honor reserved for one of the greatest champions to ever play the game,” Tamika Tremaglio, the manager director of the participant’s affiliation, mentioned in an announcement.
“Bill’s actions on and off the court throughout the course of his life helped to shape generations of players for the better and for that, we are forever grateful. We are proud to continue the celebration of his life and legacy alongside the league.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com