Celtics Hosting Two Bill Russell Dedicated Tribute Games, Including Opening Night, When They'll Unveil Uniform He Collaborated On

Russell led the Celtics to 11 NBA titles in 13 years, and as a champion for civil rights, he made a far more profound impact off the court.

Bobby Krivitsky | Aug 17, 2022

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

This season, the NBA will honor the life and legacy of Bill Russell by retiring his number 6 jersey throughout the league. It's the first jersey number the NBA has retired. As a side note, those currently wearing number 6, such as LeBron James, are grandfathered, though it would be a classy gesture to switch numbers.

Additionally, players throughout the league will wear a commemorative patch on the right shoulder of their jerseys, and every NBA court will display a clover-shaped logo with the number 6 on the sideline near the scorer's table.

The Celtics will honor Russell, a franchise architect, in a multitude of ways, including hosting two dedicated Bill Russell tribute games. The first one will take place opening night against the Sixers on Oct. 18. That night, they'll unveil a special Bill Russell tribute 2022-23 City Edition uniform – a project the league and team had been collaborating on with the 11-time NBA champion. They'll wear these uniforms for six home games and six road matchups.

The second of the two dedicated Bill Russell tribute games is Feb. 12, Russell's birthday, against the Grizzlies.

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Published Aug 17, 2022

BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.