One of the Boston Celtics' legendary players and deemed an NBA superstar, William Felton Russell, also known as Bill Russell, recently died at the age of 88. The family members of Russell said their gratitude to all people who prayed for the former basketball player.
Boston Pays Tribute to Bill Russell
As reported via NBC Boston, Russell's family announced the death of the basketball superstar on his official Twitter page on Sunday, July 31. No cause of death was said on the announcement, but the NBA star reportedly passed away peacefully.
His wife, Jeanine, stayed on his side the day he died. In the press release, the Russell family thanked everyone who prayed for Bill. The statue of the basketball star at Boston City Hall was reportedly visited by a lot of fans to pay tribute to him.
"Perhaps you'll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark laugh as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded," the family members said in the post.
Before his death, one of the statements he said in an interview was about choosing not to have a grave with any markings on it. He shared that he wanted to be buried in peace.
"If you really believe in God – really believe – he does not need a marker to find you – and I don't care if anyone else finds me," he said at the time.
So far, the Russell family has not yet announced whether there will be a public memorial for the basketball star.
Who Is Bill Russell?
According to The Guardian, William Felton Russell was one of the NBA stars who established the Boston Celtics team by contributing to the team's winnings in 13 years.
Before being voted the greatest basketball player in the history of the NBA in 1980, Russell started as one of the earliest Black players in the industry. As per Sports Illustrated, he was a native of Louisiana who went to Boston to play.
Unfortunately, at the time, racism was a rampant issue. Although Russell was already a player in NBA, the report said that there was a time when his home in Reading, Boston, was damaged by unknown suspects.
Due to Russell winning NBA titles and MVPs, his success resulted in a massive change in the NBA landscape for Black players and other colored athletes. NBC Boston said Russell was also the first Black coach in a major sport in the country.
In 2011, former Pres. Barack Obama gave Russell a presidential Medal of Freedom for his success in exposing racial discrimination in the NBA league. The president said in his speech at the time that Russell as a man should be recognized, not just Bill Russell as a basketball player.
Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, said to The Guardian that Bill was not just known as an NBA star but a civil rights advocate who stood for equality and respect in their industry.
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