Alex Wong/Getty Images. Bill Russell, who has died at the age of 88, was more than just a basketball superstar and world-class athlete. As a dedicated human rights activist, Russell fought against When the civil rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated, Russell's activism made an impact on generations of athletes. "Bill Russell was a pioneer," Etan Thomas, a former N.B.A Bill Russell's lasting impact as a Civil Rights icon . This story was originally published in February 2021, in celebration of Black History Month. Bill Russell, 1957 via Wikimedia Commons. In the 1950s, "only about 10 percent of basketball programs at predominantly white schools recruited black players.". But USF's coach, Phil Woolpert wanted to change that dynamic, and "embraced racial liberalism well before his contemporaries," recruiting players throughout the region. Bill Russell is the most successful player in NBA history who helped the Boston Celtics win 11 championships during his 13-year career. But you could argue he made a bigger impact off the court. The Basketball Hall of Famer, who passed away last July at age 88, played an active role in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s and continued to After all, Russellâ who died Sunday at 88 â was, and still is, the greatest winner in the history of major professional American sports, and a barrier breaker in every sense of the word. The Many see Russell, who checks in at No. 4 on The Athletic's top 75 all-time list of NBA players, as this icon â a champion for civil rights, and a champion on the court. What people oftentimes Bill Russell was a champion of activism before winning NBA titles. The NBA icon built a legacy off the court as a voice for civil rights. Bill Russell discusses his views on race and being a Bill Russell's Fight Against Racism. Bill Russell passed away on Sunday at the age of 88. Our condolences are with his loved ones during this time. Back in August of 2020, the NBA legend In 2018, when I was a

sports journalist with ESPN, I asked the late Kobe Bryant what he had learned from Bill Russell about leadership. Russell had been the NBA's first Black head coach, while U.S. President Barack Obama presents Bill Russell the 2010 Medal of Freedom on Feb. 15, 2011. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images At the same time, he stood like a lighthouse for his fellow Black athletes. On the Monday edition of "Closer Look," Ron Thomas, chair of the Journalism in Sports, Culture and Social Justice Department at Morehouse College, discusses NBA Hall of Famer and civil rights activist Bill Russell, who died on July 31. The Boston Celtics acquired Russell in 1956 in what many experts consider one of the most impactful trades in sports history. Given that, few players have had an impact on the game like Bill Russell, from his first NCAA championship at the University of San Francisco in 1955 to his final ring with the Boston Celtics in 1969. Bill Russell, the 11-time champion and Hall of Fame icon of the Boston Celtics, who used that fame to further the civil rights cause in the United States during the turbulent 1960s, has died at the age of 88. This was the announcement posted on Bill Russell's Twitter account. Russell, who won 11 championships in 13 seasons, broke the color barrier in major U.S. sports as its first Black head coach and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died Aug. 1, 2022, at 88 Russell's death is sad but it is also a time to honor him as one of the great civil rights leaders and human beings of our time. Russell was an 11-time NBA champion, won the MVP five times, was an Bill Russell is the greatest winner in sports history. Dwarfing that is his impact as an activist. He marched with Martin Luther King Jr. He participated in the Cleveland Summit in 1967 Bill Russell's impact both on and off the court will never be forgotten and always be celebrated. To further commemorate his impact on civil rights and the city of Boston, the Washington Street Bill Russell oral

history interview for the Civil Rights History Project conducted by Taylor Branch in Seattle, Washington. Russell was a game changer on and off the court. He transformed the sport of basketball through his aggressive airborne style of defense that gave birth to blocked shots. Bill Russell was an 11-time NBA champion whose impact went far beyond the basketball court as he fought for civil rights and social justice. Renaming the North Washington Street Bridge, which connects Charlestown with the city's west and north ends, for the 11-time NBA Champion and civil rights pioneer is a fitting tribute, according Russell, who won 11 championships in 13 seasons, broke the color barrier in major U.S. sports as its first Black head coach and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., died Aug. 1, 2022, at 88 City officials and current and former Boston Celtic luminaries gathered Monday to announce that a bridge near TD Garden will be named in honor of Bill Russell, the NBA Hall of Famer and civil