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Warriors legend Stephen Curry also paid his tributes to the late Bill Russell, who passed away on Sunday.
After being acquired in a draft-night deal with the St. Louis Hawks in 1956, Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics won 11 of the following 13 titles. As a player-coach, he led Boston to back-to-back championships in 1968 and 1969, and he was one of just five persons elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach last year.
Russell, an early civil rights movement public figure, marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and attended the “Cleveland Summit” with other renowned Black sportsmen like Jim Brown and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to support Muhammad Ali’s refusal to engage in the Vietnam War. Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2011 for his contributions to sports.
Russell died “peacefully” with his wife, Jeannine, at his side, according to Russell’s official Twitter account, and Curry went to Instagram to reminisce on the impact he left behind. “Trailblazer. Icon. Curry described himself as “the greatest champion in basketball history.” “Made the world a better place on and off the court.” Thank you, and take care! 11.”
Curry posted a photo of him and Russell with the Larry O’Brien trophy after the Warriors won the NBA Finals in 2015. Curry has since won three more titles with Golden State and was named Finals MVP for the first time after defeating the Boston Celtics in six games in last season’s finals. Russell wasn’t present to present Curry with the trophy in June, but he praised the 34-year-old on Twitter that night. Russell’s message to Curry was only a snapshot of their bond. The Boston Celtics star was frequently tweeting on social media about his fellow Oakland legend, whether he was snapping shots of Curry or complimenting him on his accomplishments.
Russell and Curry’s particular friendship was perhaps best exemplified by a post made on the Golden State veteran’s 30th birthday by Russell. Curry and Russell enjoyed a kinship as two NBA greats who gave a feeling of pride to the streets of Oakland when he wasn’t “giving him a hard time.” Russell’s memory will live on via the game of basketball and those like Curry who will hoist the trophy named after him in the coming years.
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