This Saturday, July 31, 2022, painful news was known for the world of NBA basketball and especially for the Boston Celtics, since one of the most emblematic players in its history has gone on to immortality. The multi-champion center in the Massachusetts franchise, Bill Russell, passed today to immortality.
In the official twitter account of theBoston Celtics leyend, the sad news was confirmed: “Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully today at age 88, with his wife, Jeannine, by his side. Arrangements for his memorial service will be announced soon.”
At the moment the causes of Bill Russell‘s death are unknown, although more details will surely be known in the coming hours. With him goes a legend not only of the Boston Celtics team, but of all American sports. There will surely be a tribute to the center by the Massachusetts franchise.
Who was Bill Russell?
The name of Bill Russell has transcended borders, so much so that there is no basketball fan in the world who has not heard of him. He was the most prolific athlete in the history of American sports, winning no less than 11 NBA titles, all of them with the team in which he played his entire playing career, the Boston Celtics.
During the 1960s, the Massachusetts franchise was widely dominant in the NBA, winning practically all the titles of the decade (they only did not win in 1967, the year in which the champions were the Philadelphia 76ers), also fulfilling in the last three years of their race the dual role of player/coach.
Russell was a very complete player, but he stood out above all for his defensive strength. He was one of the few who could stop the fury of the early years of another legend like Wilt Chamberlain. Many specialists point out that, if that statistic had existed in those years, he would surely be one of the greatest blockers in history.