\n<\/p>\n
Bill Russell had more N.B.A. championship rings than he had fingers and as many Most Valuable Player Awards as all other Boston Celtics players combined.<\/p>\n
But in the hours after Russell\u2019s family announced his death on Sunday, N.B.A. players remembered him as so much more.<\/p>\n
Legend. Trailblazer. \u201cEverything we all aspired to be,\u201d Isiah Thomas, the Hall of Fame point guard from the Detroit Pistons, said in a post<\/a> on Twitter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Russell, 88, spent 13 seasons with the Celtics in the 1950s and 1960s, including three as a player-coach. He was the first Black coach in the N.B.A., and he was known for his civil rights activism during and after his playing days. He has remained visible around the N.B.A. as a fan, mentor and symbol of greatness. The finals M.V.P. trophy is named after him, and he would often attend games wearing a purple hat with the initials of one of his favorite players, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in 2020.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Players across basketball generations hailed him on Sunday.<\/p>\n From the 1980s, there were Thomas and another Hall of Fame point guard, Magic Johnson of the Lakers.<\/p>\n \u201cBill Russell was my idol,\u201d Johnson said on Twitter<\/a>, citing Russell\u2019s basketball talent and position on the \u201cfront line fighting for social justice.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued<\/a>: \u201cDespite all of his achievements, he was so humble, a gentle giant, a very intelligent man, and used his voice and platform to fight for Black people.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Michael Jordan, who dominated the 1990s with the Chicago Bulls, said in a statement that Russell was a \u201cpioneer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cHe paved the way and set an example for every Black player who came into the league after him, including me,\u201d Jordan said. \u201cThe world has lost a legend.\u201d<\/p>\n Notable players from the 2000s also spoke of Russell with reverence and a warmth that showed the Celtics icon\u2019s lasting influence in the league.<\/p>\n \u201cI can go on all day about what u meant to me,\u201d Paul Pierce, the Celtics Hall of Famer, said in a tweet<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pierce, too, called Russell a \u201cpioneer\u201d and \u201ctrailblazer.\u201d He also mentioned his \u201cgreat laugh\u201d and shared a picture<\/a> of Russell talking with Pierce and other N.B.A. players. \u201cI\u2019ll never forget this day we was like kids sitting around a camp fire listening to your stories,\u201d Pierce wrote.<\/p>\n Pau Gasol, whose Lakers faced Pierce in the finals twice, shared a picture<\/a> on Twitter of himself with Russell, calling him \u201cone of the most dominant players in @NBA history.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll forever be honored to have met you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Players from the 2010s and present day also pointed to Russell\u2019s humor, activism and basketball skill.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Noting on Twitter that there was no 3-point line or social media during Russell\u2019s heyday, Celtics guard Marcus Smart posted a list<\/a> of Russell\u2019s accomplishments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cJust played and dominated in a day and a league that was def not soft,\u201d Smart said.<\/p>\n Smart\u2019s teammate Jaylen Brown shared a photo<\/a> of Russell with Muhammad Ali, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jim Brown in 1967, when a group of Black athletes were showing support for Ali\u2019s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War.<\/p>\n Calling Russell \u201cone of the greatest athletes ever<\/a>,\u201d Brown said<\/a>: \u201cThank you for paving the way and inspiring so many Today is a sad day but also great day to celebrate his legacy and what he stood for.\u201d<\/p>\n In recent years, N.B.A. players \u2014 Brown included \u2014 have more prominently carried on Russell\u2019s legacy of civil rights activism. Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, who was the president of the players\u2019 union during its social justice efforts after George Floyd\u2019s murder in 2020, also posted about Russell<\/a> on Twitter on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cUnapologetically himself at all times!! The ultimate leader and just happened to be one of the best hoopers ever! RIP Mr Russell, you will be dearly missed,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n