On Sunday, the world learned the devastating news of the passing of basketball and civil rights legend Bill Russell at 88 years old.
Following the announcement of Russell’s passing, Steve Kerr paid tribute to the NBA pillar with a video message on Twitter. Kerr reflected on Russell’s connection to the Bay Area, his time with the Celtics and his impact off the court with civil rights and social justice.
Via @warriors on Twitter:
Steve Kerr on the life and legacy of Bill Russell. pic.twitter.com/5nT5kiFI3r
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) July 31, 2022
During his time on the court in the NBA, Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics. Russell won eight consecutive NBA Finals with the Celtics and was 10-0 in his career in Game 7s.
Russell’s final two championships were won as a player-coach. Along with winning two titles as a player-coach, Russell blazed a trail as the first Black head coach of any major professional American sport.
The NBA Hall of Famer averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists over his career. Russell trails only Wilt Chamberlain for most rebounds in NBA history with 21,620 total boards.
Prior to joining the Celtics, Russell won two NCAA championships with the University of San Francisco in 1955 and 1956. Russell was a two-time All-American at USF and was named NCAA tournament’s Most Outstanding Player in 1955. Russell’s No. 6 Dons jersey now hangs from the rafters at the hilltop in San Francisco.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!