NBA Legend Bill Russell honored with his famed number 6 being retired from All NBA Teams

 

Champion Bill Russell won Eleven NBA Championships, Two National College Basketball Championships, and Two California State High School Championships

The NBA and the NBA Players Association voted to retire the number 6 - that Bill Russell made famous when he dominated the NBA in the late 1950's and 1960's - from every NBA team. Those current NBA players that wear #6 will be allowed to finish their careers (if they choose to) wearing the number 6. 

Bill Russell was much more than a basketball player. Russell proved to the world that Blacks can both play at a dominant Professional Championship Level; Lead as a Stellar Head Coach; and champion causes, especially during one of the United States of America's most transitional and turbulent periods of the 1950's and 1960's. 

Some of Bill Russell's Champion Accomplishments included: 

1. Bill Russell refused to play a NBA Pre-Season game against the St. Louis Hawks due to the mal-treatment of fellow Black Celtics players Sam Jones and Satch Sanders not being served at the Lexington, Ky. Hotel the Celtics stayed at. All the Black players from the Celtics and two from the St. Louis Hawks did not play with the Celtics Blacks leaving the city before the game. 

Read more:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/08/27/bill-russell-nba-boycott/

2. Bill Russell Won Back-To-Back NBA Championships as the Boston Celtics' Head Coach in 1968 and 1969.

3. Shortly after the death of one of the countries leading NAACP advocates Medgar Evers, the NAACP and Bill Russell started an Integrated Basketball Camp in the still-segregated State of Mississippi in June of 1963. The camp was a request of Medgar's oldest brother Charles Evers, following a call that came directly from then Five Time NBA Champion Bill Russell asking Charles Evers what he could do to help. Throughout his trip to Jackson, Ms., the NAACP had to hire "The Deacons of Defense" to provide Russell Security. And in-fact, Charles Evers had to sit in Russell's Motel Room with a shotgun while Bill Russell slept. The Death Threats poured in and the KKK were constantly across the street during the duration of the New "Integrated" Basketball Camp. Bill Russell was the most celebrated Black Professional Athlete in America, having just won four consecutive NBA Championships. The risk was great and the action was well-publicized by the media, and also harshly scrutinized from Segregationists to include death threats.  

Read more: https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/medgar-evers-assassination-in-1963-inspired-bill-russell-to-offer-help-in-mississippi/ 

4. Russell Publicly stood up for Muhammad Ali who refused to go to the Vietnam War, based on his Religious Beliefs.

5. Bill Russell has NBA Playoff records in Rebounding.

6. Russell is still the 2nd best NBA rebounder of all time behind Wilt Chamberlain. 

7. Russell was undefeated in game clinching NBA Championship games. 

8. Bill Russell won 11 NBA Championships in his 13 year playing career. 

9. Bill Russell won a U.S. Professional Sports record of Eight Consecutive Championships from 1958 to 1966.

10. Russell won two College Championships at the University of San Francisco along side of KC Jones.

11. Russell won two High School State Championships at McClymonds High School. Hall of Fame Baseball legend Frank Robinson was his High School teammate. 

12. Bill Russell was ranked #7 in the world at High Jumping, by Track and Field News in 1956 at the University of San Francisco. In that same year, Russell tied the eventual 1956 Olympics High Jump Champion Charlie Dumas, at the West Coast Relays with a jump of 6 feet 9 1/4 inches.

13. Russell ran the 400 meter dash in 49.6 seconds while at USF.

14. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded a well-deserved Bill Russell with the "The Presidential Medal of Freedom." The First Black Championship Head Coach in a Major Sport received the Medal, from the Country’s First Black President

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NBA Players Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Reggie Miller, and many wealthy former and current players, proudly and respectfully stated that it was because of the struggles Bill Russell faced in Boston (Russell called Boston a "flea market for Racism"), and travelling with the Celtics throughout the country, in an openly segregated society, that they were able to flourish as highly paid NBA legends. 

The NBA players that currently wear number six should change it, as Russell laid his life on the line literally, with death threats in Boston and throughout the United States. Russell was the first Black sports star in Boston entering the NBA in 1956, when just 5 Black players played in the NBA, just nine short years after Jackie Robinson was the first Major League Black Baseball Player to integrate the previous segregated Professional Sports.

After ‘Strong’ Q3, Alfred Liggins Expects Urban One’s Momentum To Continue Into 2023

 

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Story by Inside Radio

Photo of by Urban One

Urban One had what CEO Alfred Liggins (photo above)  called a “strong finish” to the second quarter as total revenue grew 10.4% to $118.8 million. Liggins chalked up the double-digit growth to “robust growth in digital and cable television advertising, both of which were up double digits.” Profits at the African American-owned and targeted media company grew 6.1% year over year to $47.5 million, from $44.8 million in 2021, and up from $39.6 million in pre-pandemic 2019.

Radio revenues increased 4.9% year-over-year with a large portion of the gain coming from political advertising. Excluding political, radio billings were up 1.3%.

Reach Media, the network behind D.L. Hughley, Rickey Smiley, “The Morning Hustle” and other syndicated personalities, saw its revenues shoot up 17.8% to $11.1 million during the quarter.

Radio advertising grew 4.5% to $44.5 million with local ad sales up 6.1% and national up 3.6%, bucking the trend of lower national sales seen at other radio companies. Healthcare, entertainment services and auto each posted double-digit increases, while telecommunications and financial had double-digit decreases, Chief Financial Officer Peter Thompson said during the company’s Tuesday evening earnings call.

Digital advertising jumped 19.1% to $187.9 million, cable television advertising rose 26.8% to $29.1 million and cable TV affiliate fees declined 4.2% to $24.3 million.

Third Quarter Slowdown

For third quarter, radio is pacing down 2.3% with July at -7%, August at -1% and September at +6%. “We are seeing a slowdown for some major retailers in third quarter, and also automakers as new car demand continues to exceed supply,” Thompson said. Radio is pacing down 4.4% in Q3 when political is factored out of the comparison.

“Even though we are seeing a slowdown in the radio business, our slowdown is not as significant as I've heard some of the other companies report,” Liggins told analysts, adding that Urban One’s mix of media assets – radio, TV and digital – will produce “positive revenue growth” for the company in third quarter, up by mid-to high-single digits.

Political has been tracking ahead of budget, Liggins said. And with numerous tight races in the 2022 midterm elections – especially in Ohio where Urban One has radio clusters in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati – Liggins said, “Political is going to bode well for us.”

Sounding upbeat, Liggins said Urban One still expects to exceed the upper end of its full year guidance, which calls for earnings in the neighborhood of $145 million to $150 million. He expects the company’s momentum will continue through the rest of 2022 and into 2023. “Even with the looming slowdown, we got a lot of positive momentum across many of our different divisions,” Liggins said. He singled out “a great national effort” taking place at its radio division, “where we're taking advantage of the tailwind [of] the whole diversity and inclusion movement by advertisers.”

Operating expenses climbed 12.0% to $75.2 million in third quarter, due to higher programming and technical expenses, higher selling, general and administrative expenses, and higher corporate selling, general and administrative expenses.

Inflation Impact

With record-high inflation the biggest driver of the nation’s economic slowdown, Liggins said they’re feeling its impact when trying to fill job openings. “The number one way it's impacting us right now is it is becoming increasingly harder to fill positions,” he said. Posted positions that used to attract 15 resumes now only bring in a small handful. “The biggest impact is trying to get new people into our work environment. We're finding it is competitive,” he added.

As more advertisers look to invest in diverse content and diverse ownership, it is paying off for Urban One, which Liggins noted has had the same strategy since its inception in 1980. “We built a brand on serving the African-American community,” he explained. “So, with advertisers actually waking up and saying, ‘I want to put more money against this demo,’ I think we're benefiting from 42 years of brand building, of being committed to this space.”

Based on multiyear ad commitments from the likes of General Motors, McDonald’s, and Procter & Gamble, Liggins thinks the momentum will continue. “I’m not Nostradamus, and I can't predict the future. But I definitely see it continuing. For at least the next two or three years, just because of the commitments that a lot of these companies have verbally made, publicly made.”

Diversifying American Media Ownership Must Become a National Priority

Story by Trice Edney Communications

 

Op-Ed by Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. and Jim Winston: 

 

2022 thus far has been a year of multiple socioeconomic and political challenges for all Americans across the nation. Yet for African-Americans and other communities of color, this year represents both challenges and opportunities from a business ownership perspective. In particular, for Black-owned media businesses there is a growing sense of resilience even in the face of continued profound racial disparities and societal inequities. 

 

The communications and media industry in America especially should be one of the leading industries that adopts the “good business” sense to embrace the values and benefits of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).  This is not about charity or benevolence. Diversity is objectively good for business. 

 

The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) are working together to encourage the media and advertising industries to become more proactive and committed to diversity from the C-suites to the decision-making managers. But more needs to be done to increase and to enhance the ownership of media businesses by African-Americans and other minorities. 

 

Economic equity in media requires equal access to investment capital, technical advances in communications infrastructure, and inclusion in other industry innovations. As increased changes in the racial demographics of the nation continue to accelerate in the United States, American media must be more representative of the growing diversity of the nation. 

 

It is noteworthy, therefore, that one of the recently announced major media mergers has Standard General, a minority-owned firm, pending regulatory reviews and approvals by the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission, acquiring TEGNA, a company owning 64 television stations around the country. Soo Kim, a successful Asian American business leader, who serves as Standard General’s founding and managing partner, emphasized “We’re open to exploring new partnership models to get diverse viewpoints and perspectives on the air and to make sure people have the resources to do it.” 

 

We agree with this sentiment as multiracial ownership of American media businesses will continue to be viewed as a strategic forecast for the future economic wellbeing of the nation. We intend to raise our voices in support of the positive economic and social-equity consequences of diversifying American media. 

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights has pointed out, “Access to the media by the broadest sector of society is crucial to ensuring that diverse viewpoints are presented to the American people, but racial and gender disparities in media ownership dating back to the beginning of the civil rights era continue to persist.” Again, overcoming these disparities should be a national media industry priority. 

 

“At a time when more people, particularly Black people, are distrustful of the media, diversity in media ownership,” the Leadership Conference argues, “has become more important than ever for the functioning of our democracy. Diversity in ownership is part of that solution.” We agree with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ position on this issue. 

 

Lastly, as our nation today prepares for the upcoming Midterm Elections in November, there are many who are predicating low overall voter turnout. Millions of dollars will be spent on Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) campaigns. Those who desire to increase GOTV among African- Americans and other communities of color will have to engage Black owned media as the “Trusted Voice” of Black America in order to increase voter turnout. 

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Jim Winston is President and CEO of the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) headquartered in Washington, DC. 

 

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) headquartered in Washington, DC. 

Lakers News: Jerry West Believes Bill Russell Is In Same Class As Jackie Robinson

Story by Lakers Nation

Written by Corey Hansford

Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

-The NBA world lost a true pioneer on Sunday as legendary Boston Celtics center Bill Russell passed away at the age of 88. Even though Russell haunted the Los Angeles Lakers throughout his career, being a major reason Elgin Baylor and Jerry West never won a championship together, his impact on the game far exceeds the Lakers-Celtics rivalry.

Russell was one of the first African-American stars in the NBA and was a major force during the Civil Rights era, fighting for the rights of black people in this country and handling everything with grace and class that very few could.

In fact, in reflecting on the legend, West put Russell in the same class as Major League Baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson for what he meant to the game both on and off the court, via Bill Plaschke of the L.A. Times:

“In every generation people make a difference not only with their play, but also with their persona,” said West. “Bill Russell and Jackie Robinson were in that same class.” West would continue on in his praise of Russell, saying that it almost felt like he was a teammate rather than an adversary, and lauding him for the way he handled the things he went through: “My friendship with him was such that it’s almost like I played with him instead of against him,” said West. “He went through so much and handled it all so quietly. I admired him so much as a human being.”

On the court, Russell remains the biggest adversary the Lakers have ever faced off against as he won seven of his 11 NBA Championships at the Lakers’ expense. But what he stood for and the fights he fought at that time mean much more than basketball.

Russell was outspoken at a time when it was dangerous for a black man to do so. His house in Boston was vandalized, police followed him through his neighborhood and the FBI even opened up a file on him. But through all of that, he became the winningest player in American team sports history and the first black head coach in American team sports. The NBA would eventually name the NBA Finals MVP Award after him, and he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.

Russell’s impact truly stretches well beyond the sports world and his legacy will be felt forever.

Lakers legends react to passing of Bill Russell

Many throughout the NBA world paid their respects to the great Bill Russell following the news of his passing on Sunday.

The likes of Jeanie Buss, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Pau Gasol all took to social media to thank him for everything he did as both a player and a human being.

Amazon Warriors Statue Inaugurated in Benin, formerly Dahomey Empire

 

The Amazon Warriors Statue Inaugurated July 30th in Benin (formerly Dahomey Empire) in honor of the Female Warriors that fought ferociously to defend the then Kingdom of Dahomey. Statue is 30 meters Tall.

Benin’s 30m ‘Amazon’ statue honours the women warriors of Dahomey

August 3, 2022Story by This is AfricaWritten by Kylie KiunguyuLink: https://thisisafrica.me/politics-and-society/benins-30m-amazon-statue-honours-the-women-warriors-of-dahomey/

The Amazons of Dahomey are the only documented female army in modern history and one of the world’s unresolved curiosities. As the West turns their story into fetishised cinema, their nation of origin has immortalised them in bronze.

Kylie Kiunguyu

The ‘Esplanade des Amazones’ is a public square located in Cotonou, Benin. It is home to the ‘Amazon’, a 30metre high statue built in homage to the world’s only all-female army. These Amazons belonged to the Kingdom of Dahomey, a West African empire that existed from 1625 to 1894. How they came to be or what their original purpose was, is an unresolved quandary. Some sources claim that they were elephant hunters whose might was redirected to fighting neighbouring tribes and eventually the French. Other sources state that they served as royal guards to the almost erased Queen Tassi Hangbe.

According to historian Bienvenu Akoha, who ascribes to the latter version of events, she was the first Amazon. After being “silently installed” as the head of the military following the death of her twin brother King Akaba, she was publicly proclaimed Queen of Dahomey once she returned from her military campaigns. In her short reign (before she was ousted by her brother), Queen Hangbe empowered women to participate in activities they were traditionally barred from, including hunting. Over time she built an all-women battalion. The Dahomey Amazons were recruited and trained from a young age making them ruthless and “more efficient warriors” than men.

Group portrait with the so called ‘Dahomey Amazons’, visiting Europe: Photo credit: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 . Attribution: Tropenmuseum, part of the National Museum of World Cultures. photographer: unknown

These warriors went on to serve the Kings that came after Queen Hangbe. One of them, King Gezo, who ruled over Dahomey from 1818 to 1858 officially integrated the Amazons into his army and installed Seh Dong Hong Beh as their leader. She is known for leading 6,000 female warriors in a war against the Egba fortress of Abeokuta in 1851. She not only took the fortress but also obtained slaves and decapitated the leader for refusing to acknowledge her because she was a female warrior. In 1882, Seh-Dong and the Amazons fought against French colonists over trading rights and won, despite having fewer arms. According to UNESCO, the Dahomey women’s army only became defunct when the Dahomey Kingdom fell at the end of the 19th century.

Cotonou’s Amazon Statue

This rich and unique history that was once on the brink of erasure has been immortalised in a bronze 30 metre statue in Cotonou, the economic hub of Benin. The Amazon in the statue wields a machete and a rifle reminiscent of their alleged motto, “Win or Die.”

As a way of reclaiming its past, and correcting biased historic accounts, Benin has used the example of Senegal’s Renaissance monument to pay homage and engrave the memory of the fearless women that protected and served their native land.

“The French made sure this history wasn’t known,” said Beninese economist Leonard Wantchekon, a professor of international affairs at Princeton University, to the Washington Post. “They said we were backward, that they needed to ‘civilize us,’ but they destroyed opportunities for women that existed nowhere else in the world.”

Alongside the restitution of historical treasures and the creation of Africa’s longest graffiti mural (a visual spectacle over 940 meters long that celebrates the rich history of Benin from the year 1150 to date), the statue is another valorisation of Benin’s history and culture and a tourism attraction that is true to the country’s identity.

The ‘Amazon’, a 30metre high statue built in homage to the world’s only all-female army. Photo credit: Présidence du Bénin @PresidenceBenin via Twitter.

On the other side of the pond…

American actor Viola Davis (a disappointing casting decision on account of her nationality, not her acting chops) is set to give what will hopefully be a stirring performance in “The Woman King.” Sony’s upcoming historical action epic was inspired by the events of the Kingdom of Dahomey and the legacies of the actual Dahomey Amazons. While Davis is likely to make us cringe with Hollywood’s standardised ‘African accent’, we are looking forward to watching the actual Africans in the ensemble, Thuso Mbedu (South Africa), Masali Baduza (South African), Chioma Antoinette Umeala (Nigeria), Makgotso Monyemorathoe (South Africa), Thando Dlomo (South Africa), Jimmy Odukoya (Nigeria), Tuks TAD Lungu (Zimbabwe), Sivuyile Ngesi (South African) and the Legend Angélique Kidjo.

Bill Russell: ‘A Lifetime Phenomenon as an Athlete’! The Celtics legend, Basketball Hall of Famer and civil rights activist will be remembered for more than just his on-court impact

11-Time NBA Champion and Hall of Famer Bill Russell passes away Sunday July 31, 2022 at age 88.

Story by ESPN

Written by Mark J. Spears

Photos by Getty Images

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From Jackie Robinson to Muhammad Ali to Colin Kaepernick, sociologist and longtime civil rights activist Harry Edwards has seen the historical political moments in sports on and off the field for more than 50 years. The civil rights activist, however, is confident there will “never” be another “generational giant” in the sports world like Bill Russell.

“We are all diminished by Bill Russell’s passing,” Edwards told Andscape in a phone interview on Sunday. “He is not just a generational phenomenon as an athlete. He is a lifetime phenomenon as an athlete. Never is a huge word in sports. But I don’t ever see the possibility of anyone of that caliber, status, integrity, dignity, and intelligence passing this way again. It’s been a privilege.”

Russell died at age 88 on Sunday, his family said via social media. The children and grandchildren of the Boston Celtics legend were able to say their goodbyes on Saturday, a source told Andscape. The 11-time NBA champion had been dealing with health issues in recent years, sources said.

Russell was widely considered a paramount figure in NBA history after winning 11 times with the Celtics in 13 years but was just as well known for being outspoken on social justice issues. The two-time Basketball Hall of Famer was the first African American coach in NBA history and a part of the first all-Black starting five.

RELATED STORY

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The Olympic gold medalist was a renowned civil rights advocate who led a player protest when Celtics players were denied service at a restaurant in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1961 and showed his support of NFL players who kneeled during the national anthem in 2017 by posting a photo of himself kneeling on his Twitter account. The five-time NBA MVP also once joined civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1967 as they supported boxer Muhammad Ali after he refused to be drafted into the Vietnam War.

Edwards heard about Russell’s death after getting a text message on Sunday morning from someone speaking for the NBA legend’s family.

“It was not surprising in the sense at 88 years old, like all of us in that neck of the woods, he was struggling with some things,” Edwards, 79, said. “But it’s still stunning to wake up in the morning and get that kind of news of someone of this caliber, of this significance. Literally, a generational giant in so many different sectors of American life, from sports to civil rights to the simple maintenance of the integrity and respect for the institution of the NBA, collegiate basketball and all the rest.

“He was so much to so many people. It’s just stunning even though everybody even quasi-close to him knew that there were some challenges he was facing at 88 years old.”

Front row, from left to right: Bill Russell, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor), listen to Ali give his reasons for rejecting the draft during the Vietnam War at a meeting of the Negro Industrial and Economic Union in Cleveland, June 4, 1967. Back row, from left to right: Carl Stokes, Walter Beach, Bobby Mitchell, Sid Williams, Curtis McClinton, Willie Davis, Jim Shorter, and John Wooten.

ROBERT ABBOTT SENGSTACKE/GETTY IMAGES

The news of Russell’s death was very painful for Red Auerbach’s daughter Randy, who learned of the news from a phone call from her sister Nancy. Red Auerbach was Russell’s only coach in the NBA until he got promoted to player-coach in 1966. While Russell dealt with racism during his career with the Celtics, today there is a statue in his honor outside of Boston’s City Hall.

“I think of Bill, and I hear his laughter,” Auerbach told Andscape. “He had that wonderful belly laugh. I not only think of him as a great basketball player, but a great man and a man of his convictions. The first words that come to mind with his passing is love and respect. My father and Bill Russell got each other. They were two complicated people in complicated times, and they seemed to get each other. They didn’t push boundaries within their relationship.”

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Bill Russell, two-time NBA Hall of Fame inductee, captivates all those he encountersRead now

Upon hearing the news, Randy Auerbach immediately called Russell’s daughter, Karen Russell, to offer her condolences and a shoulder to lean on. Auerbach said that Bill Russell’s death felt like losing a family member.

“We are sisters from other parents,” Randy Auerbach said. “We kind of commiserated. I told her there is that split. The world lost Bill Russell, but you lost your dad. So, you have to be very conscious of the difference.”

Philadelphia/Golden State Warriors patriarch and Hall of Famer Al Attles played against Russell during his NBA days and was pained by the news of his death. Attles credited Russell for paving the way for Black NBA players.

“I am in a terrible place,” Attles, 85, said. “As great as he was as a player, once I got to know him, he was a much better person. There were a lot of things that he did for the Celtics, and he blocked my shots. But he was a great person.

“He opened a lot of doors and doors that you don’t talk about. He touched a lot of people.”

Bill Russell (right) plays against fellow Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson (left).

SPORTING NEWS VIA GETTY IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES

His outspokenness and advocacy extended to his relationship with the Basketball Hall of Fame. Though he was inducted in 1975, Russell refused to attend the ceremony or accept the ring because he believed other African Americans deserved the honor first and that there was racism in the selection process. It wasn’t until 2019 that the Presidential Medal of Freedom winner accepted his ring from the Hall. This came after former NBA forward Chuck Cooper, who became the first African American to play in an NBA game on Oct. 31, 1950, was inducted into the 2019 Hall of Fame class.

In 2021, Russell was in Springfield, Massachusetts, to attend his second induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach who made history as the NBA’s first African American head coach. He led the Celtics to two titles as a player-coach and also coached the Seattle SuperSonics and Sacramento Kings. With health issues and concerns about COVID-19, Russell didn’t attend the news conference and several Hall of Fame activities for the Class of 2021.

The Oakland, California, native did, however, attend the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, where he received a Hoop Hall jacket on Sept. 10, 2021. Russell also spent time in a private room at the casino in May 2021 during the delayed Class of 2020 induction ceremony weekend, telling stories to much younger fellow Hall of Famers Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ben Wallace and Chris Webber.

Pierce, Garnett, Wallace, and Webber sat fascinated, listening to Russell as he talked wearing a “Stop Asian Hate” T-shirt and a baseball cap honoring the late Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant.

“The main thing I remember is the captivation,” Pierce told Andscape last year. “He was telling us stories from the days when he was playing. He is still knowledgeable about the game today even at [his] age. He captivated all of us. In the picture, we’re all just listening to him. We are amazed by him.

“We have to cherish all these moments when we get in these types of environments. In this day and age we live in, you are seeing so many people go. So, to be around these types of legends and have this opportunity is a true honor. I cherish all of it.”

Paul Pierce (left), with Bill Russell (right) in 2000, was captivated by the Celtics legend in the later stages of his life. Said Pierce in 2021: “To be around these types of legends and have this opportunity is a true honor.”

BARRY CHIN/THE BOSTON GLOBE VIA GETTY IMAGES

The Hoop Hall Class of 2021 induction ceremony in Springfield would be the last time that the basketball world saw Russell on a public stage. Hall of Fame inductee Chris Bosh said during his speech that he told Webber that he was excited to be inducted with Russell. After a video speech by former President Barack Obama honoring Russell was aired on the Jumbotron, the latter was presented by fellow Hall of Famers Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, Spencer Haywood, Alonzo Mourning, Bill Walton, and Rick Welts.

John Doleva, president and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame, said Russell made it known that it was important to him that the museum continue to induct Black pioneers and overlooked legends.

“He saw over time that we were making the right moves in terms of African American players before him,” Doleva told Andscape in a phone interview. “There was evident widespread support of him being enshrined as a coach. Being the first African American coach was something to celebrate. He was a man of few words later in his life, but he quietly appreciated what we were doing. But he also gave me the look that there was more to do, which I took with enthusiasm.

“It was a joy for him to come back and to meet with his contemporaries and see the respect and reverential love he received from the younger players. Bill Russell represented something bigger than basketball for them and they were able to be in his presence. He had some satisfaction knowing he had impacted so many others.”

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