Basketball Hall of Fame big man Bill Russell, near the top of the list of winningest players in American sports history, died on Sunday.
The NBA world mourned Russell, who was 88 years old when he passed away. But fortunately, the league found ways to pay tribute to the legendary basketball player while he was still alive.
In 2009, the league launched a new name for the award given to the best player in the championship series. The trophy became known as the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.
The late Kobe Bryant was named the trophy’s first winner, then won it again the following season. He joins just LeBron James and Kevin Durant as the only back-to-back winners since the name change.
The respect Bill Russell and Kobe had for each other. đź’š pic.twitter.com/2B7xryzFpM
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) July 31, 2022
Before he died in Jan. 2020, the Los Angeles Lakers legend also maintained an awesome friendship with Russell.
Learn about some of the best moments that fans saw in their relationship: