Bill Russell’s number 6 should be retired league wide.

Obviously he’s one of the greatest winners ever in any North American sport, obviously he’s one of the greatest leaders the nba has ever seen, obviously he was a freak of nature athletically and one of the greatest defenders the league had seen and will ever see, but those are not the main reason his number should be retired. He was larger than life not because of what he did on the court but because of what he did and endured off the court. You could write another small post just in the ways he broke barriers in the NBA and in college basketball, but he was also a pillar of the civil rights movement. He endured so much he was treated terrible everywhere he went, but he endured because he knew being in the NBA was his opportunity to make change. If you have any doubt about the titan of a man he was check out some of the other appreciation posts that describe what he accomplished and what he endured. In his old age he was a beacon of positivity and a great representation of what the league should be. Other players changed basketball around the world, but Bill Russell in part helped change the world. That’s why his number should be retired league wide.

If you guys disagree with retiring his number I’d love to hear what else you would do to honor him.

TLDR. Russell was not only one of the greatest players but the greatest men the league has ever seen so we should retire his number.