[SHAMS] Bill Russell has passed away peacefully at 88…

Roscoe Sheed · Post #61 » by **Roscoe Sheed** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:15 pm

Very saddened to hear this.

All-time great player, first Black coach to win an NBA title, campaigned for Civil Rights, and was an underrated broadcaster.

Rest in peace Mr. Russell.

AdamTH21 · Post #62 » by **AdamTH21** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:15 pm

He could kick your asses.

Ben-N1ce · Post #63 » by **Ben-N1ce** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:15 pm

Imagine winning back to back ncaa an Olympic gold and 11 titles in 15 years...on top of being an amazing human being...

sam_I_am · Post #64 » by **sam_I_am** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:16 pm

TheBobster wrote:When I was growing up in the 70's the prevailing view was that the greatest basketball player ever was either Wilt Chamberlain (unparalleled individual accomplishments) or Bill Russell (the greatest winner ever).

Just describing Russell as "a winner" kind of understates how good he was - the dominant defender of his day who changed basketball, a dominant rebounder and also a great passer from the pivot. But he was the greatest winner in team sports - NCAA titles his final two yeast as USF, a gold medal in 1956 and then 11 championships in his 13 NBA seasons.

He had mixed success as a coach, broadcaster and executive, but away from basketball he was a central figure when it came to athletes and activism in the 1960s (along with Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali).

Russell and Chamberlain were the two Goliaths of the league in the 1960s - their meetings were legendary, and their accomplishments will never be matched.

Bill’s mixed success as a head coach includes winning 2 titles in his first 2 years as the first African American coach is US major sports history. Better than most Hall of Fame coaches.

He also had one of the most infectious laughs ever. Just a larger than life figure.

dhsilv2 · Post #65 » by **dhsilv2** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:16 pm

What a loss, even worse that tweets are telling the story...

Michael Jordan · Post #66 » by **Michael Jordan** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:16 pm

Legend, may he rest in peace

Blazers-1977 · Post #67 » by **Blazers-1977** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:17 pm

RIP to the Greatest Winner in NBA History

Hoopstar23 · Post #68 » by **Hoopstar23** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:17 pm

RIP Legend

D.Brasco · Post #69 » by **D.Brasco** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:17 pm

Greatest Celtic of all time and possibly NBA player overall.

Post #70 » by **zimpy27** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:18 pm

A champion in every sense of the word

Lakers In 5 · Post #71 » by **Lakers In 5** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:18 pm

The notion ''great player'', which he was, doesn't do him enough justice me thinks. He was a great person. May he rest in peace.

KIRAG · Post #72 » by **KIRAG** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:21 pm

We lost a legend today, one of the ultimate winners in sports and in life. He was a true trailblazer and instrumental in making the sports we love as huge as it is today. Rest in Peace Champ!

Watch on YouTube

WHITE_HOT_HEAT · Post #73 » by **WHITE_HOT_HEAT** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:26 pm

Rest in peace champ...
A role model and a great human being as far as I know. All the while being humble and having one of the most infectious laughs ever...

Post #74 » by **Clyde Frazier** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:31 pm

RIP Bill. Couldn't ask for a better ambassador for the game. It's a shame what he went through during his career:

Read on Twitter

There will be plenty of stories shared but here's a positive one for now:

Read on Twitter

Roscoe Sheed · Post #75 » by **Roscoe Sheed** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:32 pm

This clip from the great documentary accompanying David Halberstam's book about the 1950s is very much worth watching.

The segment about Russell begins at 31:52

Watch on YouTube

;list=PL4FKieDr3K-IrV3nxLPUat46Ef7uEaVAg&index=5

Sedale Threatt · Post #76 » by **Sedale Threatt** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:38 pm

Clyde Frazier wrote:There will be plenty of stories shared but here's a positive one for now:

Spoiler:

Read on Twitter

The All-Star threat was straight gangster. It goes without saying, but players didn't have even remotely the same kind of power and authority they do now. There is easily a scenario where the commissioner tells them to piss up a rope, the All-Star Game gets cancelled, the owners go nuclear and those players get blackballed to effectively end their professional careers. In short, it took an enormous amount of guts to take stands like that back then.

To say nothing of the public support of civil rights that prominent leaders were getting assassinated over.

Message Boar · Post #77 » by **Message Boar** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:39 pm

I'm devastated and heartbroken right now.

Then again, he lived a great life and left nothing on the table, so you have to salute that. And he got to pass away at a good old age and by all accounts, peacefully. Not that many big guys make it to 88 (sadly).

Rest in peace, Mister Russell. <3

Frank Dux · Post #78 » by **Frank Dux** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:41 pm

A true winner on and off the court. One of the best players ever, and graceful man who seemed to embrace the changes of the league over the years. I don’t think i’ve ever heard anything remotely negative about him.

Rest in peace GOAT

Roddy B for 3 · 7/1/2019 (I broke a mirror on 7-1-2012)

GOAT of GOAT's

Ein Sof · Post #80 » by **Ein Sof** » Sun Jul 31, 2022 6:57 pm