The great Bill Russell may have passed away in July, but his legacy will be fresh on the minds of basketball fans throughout the season. Recently, the NBA has revealed a variety of ways to honor the remarkable life of one of the most important figures in sports history.
How exactly will the NBA honor Russell?
- Every franchise will retire the No. 6
- Every team's jersey will feature a No. 6 patch
- Every court will display a shamrock with the No. 6 in tribute to Russell's everlasting impact on the NBA.
But his fingerprints go far beyond his success on the court as a leading figure for social justice during the prime of his career. Competing during one of the most racially divisive times in world history, Russell was an icon of the Civil Rights movement, enduring all types of discrimination to set an example of hope and resiliency for his peers.
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And he didn't just play through the hate and racism — he completely dominated his competition to become the greatest winner in the history of American sports.
Personally, I was far from old enough to watch Russell play, but growing up in Boston, the stories that were passed down sounded more like fictional tales than actual history.
His list of accolades are nearly impossible to fathom.
- Two NCAA titles
- 11 NBA championships
- Five MVPs
To name just a few.
How is it possible to have more rings than you do fingers to put them on?
His 11 NBA titles are the most by a player in league history, and it's more than every franchise aside from his Celtics and the Lakers.
If the NBA acknowledged a Defensive Player of the Year or Finals MVP during his playing career, Russell would have run out of space in his trophy case if he didn't already. (In 2009, they even named the Finals MVP trophy after Russell, the "ultimate champion," then-commissioner David Stern said.)
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And just when I thought I couldn't be more impressed by Russell's career achievements, there was a stat that surfaced on the day of his passing that completely blew my mind.
Long-time Boston Globe writer Bob Ryan revealed that throughout Russell's career, he went 21-0 in winner-take-all games between the NCAA, Olympics, best-of-5 and best-of-7 NBA series.
Bill Russell 21-0 in winner-take-all games: All NCAA games, Olympic medal round, best-of-5s, best of 7s. Greatest resume of anyone. Period.
— Bob Ryan (@GlobeBobRyan) February 12, 2017
Any time both teams had their backs against a wall and needed a win to stay alive, it was Russell's team that came out on top every single time he found himself in one of those situations.
Dumbfounded by that stat, I had to take a closer look into each of those winner-take-all games to see how the greatest winner of all time performed when the pressure was at its highest. You'll have to see the numbers to believe them.
Bill Russell's performances in winner-take-all games
NCAA Tournament
1955: Averaged 23.6 points, 14.0 rebounds to win National Championship
During the 1955 NCAA Tournament, Russell led San Francisco to five consecutive wins to take home the national title. Russell posted 23 points and 25 rebounds to earn his first ring.
1956: Averaged 22.8 points, 23.8 rebounds to win National Championship
With San Francisco looking to repeat as champions, Russell averaged over 20 points and rebounds per game to lead the Dons to back-to-back titles. He went for 26 points and 27 rebounds in the National Championship game and didn't have fewer than 22 rebounds in any game throughout the tournament.
1956 Olympics
Russell and the United States throttled their competition at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Russell's 14.1 points per game led the team as the United States finished a perfect 8-0 to take home the Gold medal, defeating its opponents by an average margin of victory of 53.5 points.
NBA Playoffs
1957 NBA Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics 125, St. Louis Hawks 123
After the Hawks took Game 6 to force a Game 7 in the 1957 NBA Finals, Russell assured his team would go home with a ring during his rookie season. He posted 19 points and 32 rebounds to lead Boston to his first NBA title.
1959 Eastern Division Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics 130, Syracuse Nationals 125
Coming up short of a title in 1958, Russell and the Celtics were looking to get back to the NBA Finals. In Game 7 of the Eastern Division Finals, Russell went for 18 points and 32 rebounds to lead the Celtics back to the big stage, going on to claim his second ring.
1960 NBA Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics 122, St. Louis Hawks 103
Back in the NBA Finals against the Hawks for the fourth-straight year, Russell earned his third NBA championship ring by going for 22 points and 35 (!) rebounds to win yet another Game 7.
1962 Eastern Division Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics 109, Philadelphia Warriors 107
Even in a winner-take-all game against Wilt Chamberlain, Russell still came out on top. Chamberlain went for 22 points and 22 rebounds, but Russell's 19 points and 22 boards were enough to advance Boston to the NBA Finals.
1962 NBA Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics 110, Los Angeles Lakers 107
Jerry West went for 35 points and Elgin Baylor had 41 points and 22 rebounds but that didn't stop Russell from leading the Celtics to another NBA title. The league MVP posted a stat line that made me do a double-take, going for 30 points and 40 — yes, 40 — rebounds to bring Boston another ring.
1963 Eastern Division Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics 142, Cincinnati Royals 131
No stranger to a Game 7 at this point in his career, Russell got it done again with his back against the wall. This time, he posted another 20-20 game with 20 points and 24 rebounds to get past Oscar Robertson's Royals.
1965 Eastern Division Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics 110, Philadelphia Warriors 109
Russell and Chamberlain going at it again. Wilt did everything he could with 30 points and 32 rebounds but Russell nearly posted a triple-double effort, going for 15 points, 29 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Celtics to a one-point win. (Now is probably a good time to remind you Russell could have been a walking triple-double if blocks were recorded as a stat during his playing days.)
1966 Eastern Division Semifinals Game 5: Boston Celtics 112, Cincinnati Royals 103
In Game 5 of a best-of-five series, Russell notched a triple-double of 16 points, 31 rebounds and 11 assists to overcome 37 points, nine assists and seven rebounds from Robertson.
1966 NBA Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics 95, Los Angeles Lakers 93
In his second winner-take-all game of the 1966 postseason, Russell came out a winner again. He went for 25 points and 32 rebounds, leading the Celtics to their eight-consecutive NBA championship.
MORE: How Bill Russell's coaching career opened doors for Black head coaches
1968 Eastern Division Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics 100, Philadelphia 76ers 96
It wasn't Russell's most memorable offensive game, but his defense on Chamberlain and relentless work on the glass helped the Celtics advance to the NBA Finals. Russell only had 12 points but he grabbed 26 rebounds and held Wilt to just 14 points on nine shots.
1969 NBA Finals Game 7: Boston Celtics 108, Los Angeles Lakers 106
The Celtics fell behind the Lakers 3-2 in the NBA Finals but Russell wasn't going out on a loss. He went for nine points and 19 rebounds in Game 6 to force a Game 7, then had six points, 21 rebounds and six assists to remain undefeated in winner-take-all games.
After winning his 11th NBA championship ring, Russell retired as a player following the 1969 NBA Finals.