The NBA will permanently retire number 6 of its 30 franchises in honor of legendary Boston Celtics center Bill Russell, who died on July 31 at the age of 88, the US Basketball League reported Thursday.
"Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the track and his civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way. Permanently retiring number 6 from the franchise ensures that Bill’s career is forever recognized"NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.
"It’s an epochal honor for one of the greatest champions to ever play basketball."said Tamika Tremaglio, executive director of the NBA Players Association.
Bill Russell won eleven NBA titles in thirteen seasons in the league, all lived in the Boston Celtics jersey, between 1956 and 1969. He is the most successful player in the history of North American sports.
Growing up in San Francisco college, where he won two NCAA titles with the Dons, he was chosen by the Celtics in the 1956 draft and opened a glorious stage that led to the rings of 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969.
Eight of those eleven titles came consecutively and with Russell as the main protagonist.
Russell was also the first African-American coach in NBA history, accepting a player-coach position from 1966 to 1969, when Red Auerbach became the franchise’s manager. That stage led to the 1968 and 1969 titles.
In all, Russell reached twelve NBA Finals in his thirteen years in the league. He was a five-time NBA MVP, a twelve-time All-Star, a four-time rebounding leader (he averaged 22.5 per game for his career) and has been a member of the NBA Hall of Fame since 1975.
