No. 1 All-Time
Bill Russell (1956-69): As a player, Russell’s career is simply unparalleled; his rebounding ability literally forced rule changes in the game before he even set foot in the NBA, and would have one of if not the greatest careers in the history of the league.
He won an unparalleled 11 NBA championships with the Celtics, establishing the greatest dynasty in the history of the sport in the process. A five-time NBA MVP and 12-time All-Star Game player, Russell would also receive 11 All-NBA team nods.
He led the league in rebounding four seasons of his career, and helped blaze paths for African Americans on and off the court while being a virtually unstoppable force on the parquet.
As we noted at the start of the article, well-read fans of the Boston Celtics likely already knew where we’d end up for the greatest center in Celtic history.
But that’s only because it’s not even close — with all due respect to the greats who came after.
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