Bill Russell's legacy in Boston: Why he's the most important Celtic ever

Boston is known as “Titletown” because of the success of its professional sports organizations. Fans of the city’s championship-winning teams have enjoyed watching some of the greatest players of all time.

None may be greater than Bill Russell.

The Celtics legend played his entire career in Boston. He was a five-time MVP, 11-time champion and 12-time All-Star as a player, and his No. 6 jersey was retired across the league.

Though his status was otherworldly, Russell often displayed humility. He had a specific way he wanted to be remembered.

“When folks ask who the best player is, I have never, ever put myself in that category,” Russell said. “All I said was that I made up my mind in college that I would try to win all the games. I didn’t pull it off, but I tried.”

Here’s a breakdown of his career, showcasing how Russell became one of the world’s most important figures in sports and beyond.

The championships: How Russell set the Celtics standard

Yes, Russell won 11 NBA championships, but it’s the run of eight consecutive titles that sets him above the rest.

Of course, he couldn’t have snagged all of those rings without help from a few of the best supporting casts the NBA has ever seen.

Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, “Satch” Sanders — the list goes on and on. Russell’s teammates knew their roles, and his winning mentality touched each part of the locker room.

“Every ounce of him burned to win,” Cousy said of Russell in 2018. “It was impossible for that not to rub off on everyone he played with. He didn’t care about personal glory, never spent a second even thinking about that. Everything was team. Team, team, team.”

Defense and leadership: What made Russell different

Russell knew how to work well with all kinds of teammates. He understood how to put others in positions to succeed even if they didn’t possess elite natural talent.

“When I arrived in Boston, the first thing I did was to scout my teammates,” Russell said. “It was irrelevant how good or bad they were.”

Russell could score in the paint, but his primary focus was always defense. He was ahead of his time as a defender, showing that he would have been able to stifle opponents in any era.

Russell led the league in rebounds multiple times, averaging 22.5 rebounds per game over the course of his career. He likely would have set blocks records, but the NBA didn’t recognize blocks as an official stat until the 1973-74 season.

In addition to his physical gifts, Russell was also the smartest player on the floor. Long before the era of advanced statistics, he had his own in-depth scouting reports.

“Watching him, I realized that Bill seemed to know what each player was going to do before they did,” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said of Russell’s defense. “He anticipated their move like a chess master, then sprang into the air to block them before they knew what was happening.

“He didn’t play one-size-fits-all defense; he customized his defense to fit each player.”

Russell’s impact beyond basketball: Boston, civil rights and influence

Russell was a pioneering civil rights activist, using his platform to fight racial injustice and advocate for equality.

He became the first black head coach in the NBA, taking the reins from Red Auerbach and winning multiple titles. A victim of racial abuse, Russell was part of an NBA boycott in the early 1960s, refusing to play an exhibition game. He was also a supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Muhammad Ali.

Being a civil rights activist was one of the reasons why he was an inspiration to current Celtics star Jaylen Brown.

“I think I would have stood there right with him,” Brown said. “At least he would have had somebody else on his team that felt as strongly as him, and maybe we could have moved more mountains together.”

For Russell, it wasn’t just about money and championships. It was always about making a positive impact in the world.

“(T)he contribution I’d like to make as a person — to my kids and little Black kids all over the world — is to make life better, so their ambitions aren’t stifled when they face the world, to give them the opportunity to do what they’re most skilled at,” Russell said.

“I could have a burning ambition to give my kids a million dollars. If I gave them that alone, I’d be giving them nothing.”