Bill Russell (right) received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2011. Bloomberg File
The reason the NBA decided to retire the jersey number of Boston Celtics Hall of Fame big man Bill Russell, who passed away in July this year, worldwide is not just because of his unparalleled achievements on the basketball court.
A central figure in the American civil rights movement of the 1960s and a humanitarian who continued his work until his death, Russell touched the lives of millions of people in ways too profound to briefly capture in writing.
To celebrate his life and accomplishments, a panel of people including NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Los Angeles Lakers legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West, Celtics icon Paul Pierce, fellow Hoops Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson, and many others, produced a video for TNT.
Watch the full clip embedded below and reflect on a figure the world still desperately needs and will never forget.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast below:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
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YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Boston Celtics Legend Bill Russell: Answering the Call
