Inside The Celtics

Magic Johnson Says the NBA Should Retire No. 6 in Honor of Bill Russell

Bill Russell was a champion for civil rights, the best teammate, and the ultimate winner. He leaves the world better than he found it.

Bobby Krivitsky

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Bill Russell didn't break the NBA's color barrier as Jackie Robinson did for Major League Baseball; that distinction belongs to another former Celtic, Chuck Cooper. He did so in 1950, three years after Robinson's historic MLB debut. But Russell's made a profound and everlasting impact on sports and society.

Russell, the ultimate winner, captured 11 NBA championships in 13 years and went 21-0 in winner-take-all contests, including his collegiate and Olympic triumphs. He won eight of those NBA titles in a row, a feat unlikely to be matched in any sport. And while some make light of the era he played in, Russell repeatedly led his team past some of the best players in the NBA's history, consistently prevailing against stacked squads such as a Lakers team featuring Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West.

Two of the NBA championships he celebrated came as a player-coach, becoming the first Black head coach in the history of major team sports. Russell, a champion of civil rights, also marched with Martin Luther King Jr. He participated in the Cleveland Summit in 1967, supporting Muhammad Ali in one of the most important civil rights acts in sports history. And as Boston began desegregating its school systems, Russell didn't shy away from taking a stand in the name of justice and speaking out for what's right.

And after the assassination of Medgar Evers, one of the country's leading civil rights activists, in Jackson, Mississippi, Russell called Evers' brother, Charles, asking how he could help. Acting on Charles Evers' advice, Russell went to Jackson and held the first integrated basketball camp in Mississippi.

Russell's integrity and that he's the consummate winner made him Robinson's favorite athlete.

Russell changed the world for the better while simultaneously putting together a basketball career that led to basketball writers in 1980 voting him the best player in NBA history. It's why Magic Johnson cited Russell as one of his idols.

And for all Russell's done to leave the world a better place than he found it, Johnson's words ring true when he says Russell's number 6 should be retired across the NBA, just as the MLB's done with Robinson's number 42.

Further Reading

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Bobby Krivitsky
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.

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