Bill Russell, one of basketball's legendary players, passed away at age 88, according to a family statement from his verified Twitter account on Sunday.
https://twitter.com/RealBillRussell/status/1553790050839588865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1553790050839588865%7Ctwgr%5E46e881b8725105958506b8c11be3eac273055c90%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsee.news%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost-new.php
"It is with a very heavy heart we would like to pass along to all of Bill's friends, fans, & followers," the statement reads. "Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully today at age 88, with his wife, Jeannine, by his side. Arrangements for his memorial service will be announced soon."
https://twitter.com/KingJosiah54/status/1553792567782756352
Former U.S. President Barack Obama paid a heartfelt tribute to Russell on Twitter, affirming that we "lost a giant."
https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1553817776883728386
In 2011, Obama awarded the former NBA icon the Presidental Medal of Freedom, stating that he hopes "children will look up at a statue built not only to Bill Russell the player, but Bill Russell the man."
Russell won 11 championships with the Boston Celtics, including eight straight from 1959 to 1966. He was a five-time NBA MVP and a 12-time All-Star.
The legendary player was congratulated by Celtics coach Arnold "Red" Auerbach after scoring his 10,000th career point in a game against the Baltimore Bullets in Boston Garden on December 12, 1964. He became the first Black head coach to win an NBA championship by leading the Celtics team to two titles.
The Celtics issued a statement lauding Russell and his contribution to both the team and the sport as a whole.
"To be the greatest champion in your sport, to revolutionize the way the game is played, and to be a societal leader all at once seems unthinkable, but that is who Bill Russell was," the statement read.
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