feature-image

Getty

feature-image

Getty

The demise of All-Time great Bill Russell has deeply saddened the NBA and fans around the world. He played a huge role in popularising the game in the early years. Russell has won the NBA title a record 11 times in just 13 seasons. Furthermore, he helped the team win a record 8 straight championships. He has also won 5 NBA MVP awards. The Boston Celtics dynasty flourished with Russell acting as an anchor. In 2011, he was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom award.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

ADVERTISEMENT

Another All-Time great, Michael Jordan, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in 2016. Much like the Celtics legend, Jordan helped the Chicago Bulls and made it a dynasty. He led the Bulls to 6 NBA championships with 2 different three-peats. Similar to Russel, MJ has also won 5 NBA MVP awards.

ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE?Marching With Dr. King and Standing With Muhammad Ali??: Former POTUS Barack Obama Pays a Sentimental Homage to NBA Legend Bill Russell

Now, the NBA world is still mourning the death of Bill Russell. And everyone has been paying their respect to the Celtics legend. The Bulls on Twitter shared a photo of Bill Russell with Michael Jordan.

ADVERTISEMENT

All-Time greats Bill Russell and Michael Jordan

The Bulls shared the photo with the caption, “Legends are forever. RIP Bill Russell, truly a titan of our game.” And the fans are showing their respect. Here are some of the reactions:

ADVERTISEMENT

https://twitter.com/vitostellino/status/1553855354567540737?s=20&t=p2_XhZSURcaBP0n9lxxw_Q

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The fans were in awe of seeing the two legends together. And they shared their condolences.

Michael Jordan has won the Finals MVP award a record 6 times which was named after Bill Russell in 2009. The Bulls legend released a statement after the death of Bill Russell. He said, “Bill Russell was a pioneer?? as a player, as a champion, as the NBA’s first Black head coach and as an activist. He paved the way and set an example for every Black player who came into the league after him, including me. The world has lost a legend. My condolences to his family and may he rest in peace.”

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Russell retired after the 1969 title win with the Celtics where he was the coach as well. Then from 1973 to 1977, he was the coach for the Seattle Supersonics. Russell led the Supersonics to two straight Conference Semifinals in 1975 and 1976. He was then the head coach of the Sacramento Kings for the 1987-88 season.

WATCH THIS STORYJames Harden, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Other NBA Stars Who Have Played In The Drew League

The Celtics honored Russell by erecting a statue of him on City Hall Plaza. legend’s impact on and off the court is enormous. He will forever be remembered by fans around the world.

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Bagavathi Eswaran

1,520 Articles

Bagavathi Eswaran is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports, having a strong passion for the sport since the age of ten. As a former college player, Bagavathi has been following the NBA for more than a decade and has found his calling in writing about the sport. He has used his expertise in covering the NBA, as well as other arenas of the sport, to write more than 1400 articles at ES. Bagavathi's pieces on the increasingly dominant presence of European basketball and those following the journey of women-ballers are particularly noteworthy. Along with being a full-time writer, he is also a part of a group of young coaches groomed as trainers by Junior NBA. Bagavathi has trained players from schools and colleges, as well as underprivileged students who can attend the camps for free.

Know more

ADVERTISEMENT