HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – Bill Russell was a Hall of Famer, a 5-time MVP, and a 12-time All-Star. He was a game changer on and off the court. The community came together to pay their respects to the incredible legend who passed away Sunday.
Russell was the most prolific winner in American Sports History. A decorated athlete with an incomparable run of accomplishments in the world of basketball. He anchored a Boston Celtics dynasty that won 8 straight titles and 11 overall titles in 13 years.
22News spoke to local residents on Sunday about Russell’s great legacy and impact. Lexan Fontez of Holyoke spoke about the lasting influence a player and person like Bill Russell can have.
“Bill Russell won 11 titles. He had two NCAA titles. He was a very great center, one of the best centers in the game,” said Fontez. “He repped my team; the Celtics, also I think this is a crazy loss for the league, and for the basketball nation in general.”
Fontez is an aspiring basketball player. He says that players like Russell inspire him to excel on and off the court.
“NBA players just like Bill Russell show me there is more to life than just the court,” he continued, “As a basketball player when you grow up and you are inspired by someone, and you lose them, it’s kind of like devastating. But, I feel like if you put in the work you can try to live up to that legacy as well.”
Russell was the first Black player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975,
and in 1980 he was voted Greatest Player in the History of the NBA.
Abdiel Mojica of Holyoke told 22News, “It’s inspirational to see someone pass that has been an inspiration to people. One of the top players back then in his era, it’s hard to see.”
Russell was a pioneering activist, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and an all around athlete.
Bill Russell will continue to inspire the future generations of basketball through his legacy.