Celebrating Bill Russell’s 86th birthday in photos
On Boston Celtics legendary big man Bill Russell’s 86th birthday, we celebrate his long and rich life and contributions to basketball and civil rights.
THE 2000S – MEETING A NEW GENERATION
As the NBA soared to new heights of popularity, Russell got to know yet another new crop of future stars, while receiving long-overdue recognition from the league.
Russell with Kobe Bryant at All Star Weekend 2007 (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images).
Russell learns the MVP award has been renamed in his honor in 2009 (AP Photo/Matt York).
THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM
One of Russell’s proudest moments, his life of dedication to civil rights and excellence in sport was honored by President Barack Obama in 2011.
Russell receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the nation’s highest honors, from President Barack Obama in 2011 (Bloomberg photo).
Getting the Medal of Freedom from another angle (Alex Wong/Getty Images).
