Eleven-time NBA champion Bill Russell died Sunday at age 88. After 14 seasons as a player for the Boston Celtics, Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. In 2021, he was inducted again, becoming just the fifth individual to enter the Hall of Fame as both a player and coach. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in NBA history.

Born in Monroe, Louisiana, in 1934, Russell grew up in an era of strict segregation in the Deep South, where his family was a frequent target of racial persecution. When he was eight, the family moved to Oakland, California, in search of a new home. As his father, Charles Russell, bounced between multiple jobs, including a truck driver during World War II, Bill spent the majority of his childhood in different housing projects. His mother, Katie Russell, died when he was 12, which had a massive impact on the family. Before she died, she made her husband promise to send her sons to college.

For a young boy that would go on to become an NBA legend, one might suspect that basketball always came easily for Russell. But though he had raw athletic ability and increasingly formidable size, the game didn’t come easily to him and he was cut from his junior high school team. He was nearly cut from the team in his first year at McClymonds High School in Oakland as well but gradually began to learn how to use his physical attributes to his advantage.

Without any initial interest from colleges in his senior year, Russell eagerly accepted when the University of San Francisco finally offered him a scholarship. Recruiters at the school noted his subpar skills on offense but took him on the basis of his instincts and potential.

Though his offensive prowess never improved in his college career, Russell firmly established himself as the most dominant defender in college basketball at that time. Because of his devastating shot-blocking ability and tendency to smother opponents down low, the NCAA had to rewrite the rules to widen the lane and ban basket interference. Nothing could stop Russell, however, as San Francisco went on to win back-to-back NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. In 2006, Russell became one of the founding inductees into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

In the 1956 NBA Draft, the St. Louis Hawks selected Russell with the second overall pick, but Celtics head coach Red Auerbach quickly began to arrange a trade. Though Russell’s offensive output was still considered poor, Auerbach was interested in his defensive play and offered St. Louis premier player Ed Macauley and forward Cliff Hagan. The Hawks accepted, sending Russell to Boston. He never left.

In 13 seasons in Boston from 1956 to 1969, Russell and the Celtics won the NBA Championship 11 times, including eight straight between 1959 and 1966. It remains the most dominant stretch by any franchise in the history of the sport, and Russell was the team’s defensive star throughout, earning All-Star honors in every season following his rookie year. In 1966, he also began his tenure as the team’s coach, and Boston won titles in 1968 and 1969. In doing so, he also became the first black coach in NBA history.

In the midst of his playing days, Russell never hesitated to use his voice in support of social issues. In 1963, he marched in Washington D.C. for civil rights and later became a staunch defender of boxer Muhammad Ali during his stand against serving in Vietnam.

After a short stint as a commentator for ABC, Russell accepted a position as the head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics, leading the team to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 1973. He left the team in 1977 with a 162-166 record. A single season coaching for the Sacramento Kings in 1987 proved unsuccessful when the team compiled a 24-58 record.

Over the years, Russell has consistently been named one of the greatest players in NBA history, alongside players like Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. Due to his work in the civil rights movement over the span of six decades, Russell has also been recognized as a staunch defender of human rights. At the 2019 ESPYs, Bryant delivered a touching address when Russell received the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, which honors figures in sports advocating for others in need.

Following his death, countless sports figures came forward to honor Russell, including fellow Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In a message on Twitter, Abdul-Jabbar, who considered Russell a friend and mentor, remembered him as “the quintessential big man, not because of his height but because of the size of his heart.”

“In basketball, he showed us how to play with grace and passion. In life, he showed us how to live with compassion and joy,” Abdul-Jabbar said.

As Abdul-Jabbar noted, Russell earned a reputation for insatiable passion in everything he did. His efforts on the basketball court were no less determined than his battles in real life, and in gaining a platform as an all-time athlete, he also gained the opportunity to use that platform for good, to rectify some of the wrongs done to him, his family and entire communities in the United States over the years. If anything, that can be considered Russell’s lasting legacy, both on and off the court. He made the most of his opportunities and the world is better for it.

A couple of weeks ago, in the absence of basketball games, ESPN ranked the top-74 players in the NBA’s history (74 because this season was the NBA’s 74th anniversary). On May13, ESPN released their top-10 players of all-time. You probably can guess who the top-10 were but here it is:

1. Michael Jordan
2. LeBron James
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Bill Russell
5. Magic Johnson
6. Wilt Chamberlain
7. Larry Bird
8. Tim Duncan
9. Kobe Bryant
10. Shaquille O’Neal

Personally, I have some issues with the list. I think some guys should be higher while others are lower, but I will give my personal list later. Looking at the list however, here is why each guy has a case to be considered one of the ten best players in NBA history:

• Jordan:
  • Career Stats: 30.1 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, 5.3 assists per game, 2.3 steals per game. 
  • Notable Accolades: 6-time NBA Champion, 6-time Finals MVP, 5-time Regular Season MVP, 1988 Defensive Player of the Year, 10-time scoring champion, 14-time All-Star, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • Jordan is one of the best to ever step on an NBA court, if you are watching The Last Dance, you would know how much Jordan was idolized around the world and how much respect his competitors had for him. In the 90s, everyone wanted to take on the Bulls and beat Jordan, but none of them could.
• James:
  • Career Stats (at least as of right now): 27.1 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, 7.4 assists per game, 1.6 steals per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 3-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 4-time League MVP, 16-time All Star, 3-time All Star Game MVP 12-time First team All NBA. 
  • The guy is the best player of this generation, he is a physical freak of nature, has had numerous moments during his career that can be considered iconic. The longevity of his success can arguably be the most impressive pair of his entire career.
• Abdul-Jabbar:
  • Career Stats: 24.6 points per game, 11.2 rebounds per game, 3.6 assists per game, 2.6 blocks per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 6-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 6-time League MVP, 19-time All Star, 10-time All NBA First Team, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all time leader in points scored with 38,387 career points. He had one of the most unstoppable moves in league history with the skyhook. I mentioned his list of his achievements but the guy truly did it all, more MVPs than any other player, more All Star game appearances than any other player. The fact that he was so good and so dominant for so long is what is really impressive.
• Russell:
  • Career Stats: 15.1 points per game, 22.5 rebounds per game, 4.3 assists per game. 
  • Notable Accolades: 11-time NBA Champion, 5-time League MVP, 12-time All Star, Member of NBA’s. 25th, 35th, and 50th Anniversary Teams.
  • Despite not having the same accolades as the three guys ahead of him, that is partially because those things did not exist. There was not such a thing as a Finals MVP until his final championship in 1969, which went to Jerry West. They named the Finals MVP after Russell who is considered the ultimate winner in basketball history with 11 championships in 13 seasons. Blocks was not a stat during Russell’s career, but he was a prolific shot blocker if you watch the footage.
• Johnson:
  • Career Stats: 19.5 points per game, 7.2 rebounds per game, 11.2 assists per game, 1.9 steals per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 5-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 3-time League MVP, 12-time All Star, 2-time All Star Game MVP, 9-time All NBA First Team, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • I mean when your nickname is ‘Magic,’ that means you are something special and that’s what Johnson was. The orchestrator of the Showtime Lakers, he was a wizard with the basketball in his hands, revolutionized the game with his size being a 6′ 9” point guard but had skills no one had ever seen before. He was the face of the NBA in the 80s, some say it was Bird, others Jordan, but I personally think it is without question Johnson.
• Chamberlain: 
  • Career Stats: 30.1 points per game, 22.9 rebounds per game, 4.9 assists per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 2-time NBA Champion, 1-time Finals MVP,  4-time League MVP, 13-time All Star, 7-time First Team All NBA, 7-time scoring champion, 11-time rebounding champion. Member of NBA’s 35th and 50th Anniversary Team.
  • Chamberlain is the only player to score 100 points in a game, he averaged 50 points in a season, a truly dominant player. My one issue with ‘The Big Dipper,’ is that was this dominance more so of a byproduct with the era he played in. Sure there was Russell, but that is really it for centers in that era who posed any real challenge to Chamberlain. Who knows, maybe that’s just how dominant he really was that only one guy in the whole NBA stood a chance against him.
• Bird:
  • Career Stats: 24.3 points per game, 10.0 rebounds per game, 6.3 assists per game, 1.7 steals per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 3-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 3-time League MVP, 12-time All Star, 9-time All NBA First Team, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • Bird’s career was going to be compared to that of Magic Johnson’s the moment the two were drafted into the NBA, and neither balked at the challenge. Bird is one of the best shooters in league history, as an extremely smooth jumper, and I think he is one of those guys who can thrive in almost any era, which you can’t say about some guys on this list. 
• Duncan:
  • Career Stats: 19 points per game, 10.8 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, 2.2 blocks per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 5-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 2-time League MVP, 15-time All Star, 10-time First Team All NBA, 8-time First Team All Defense.
  • The guy lived up to his nickname as ‘The Big Fundamental’ as he was not a guy who would wow you with his flashiness or was a big personality. He just went out onto the court, knew what his job was and more often than not, did it. When the game was on the line, he would show up and execute. One of the best winners in league history as he has the most wins in the regular season for a player who played for one team with 1,001.
• Bryant:
  • Career Stats: 25.0 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, 4.7 assists per game, 1.4 steals per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 5-time NBA Champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 1-time League MVP, 18-time All Star, 4-time All Star Game MVP, 11-time First Team All NBA, 9-time First Team All Defense. 
  • It is unfortunate that Bryant’s life got cut tragically short and he will be unable to attend his Hall Of Fame induction. The guy was the ultimate competitor, the ‘Mamba Mentality’ became something that players feared. Second most points in a single game in NBA history with 81. In his final game, he scored 60 points. He was the closest thing to Jordan we have ever seen. A legend that died too young.
• O’Neal:
  • Career Stats: 23.7 points per game, 10.9 rebounds per game, 2.3 blocks per game.
  • Notable Accolades: 4-time NBA Champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 1-time League MVP, 15-time All Star, 3-time All Star Game MVP, 8-time First Team All NBA, Member of NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team.
  • The most dominant player in NBA history, without question. Compared to Russell, Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar, O’Neal would probably beat all of them. He changed how the NBA was played because of how good he was, had multiple rules changed because of some of the things he would do on the basketball court. The guy had an electric personality and that showed in his many nicknames and that translated to his play on the court.

As promised, I said I would give my top 10 list for the ten greatest players in NBA history. This is strictly my opinion, but here is how I thought ESPN should have done their rankings.

1. Jordan
2. James
3. Johnson
4. Abdul-Jabbar
5. O’Neal
6. Duncan
7. Bryant
8. Bird
9. Chamberlain
10. Russell

Let me know your list of the top-10 NBA players of all time on social media, @usports on Twitter and Instagram

Charles Barkley thanked basketball Hall of Fame center Bill Russell at Monday night’s NBA Awards, and Russell responded by giving the TNT analyst the middle finger on live television.

Bill Russell Flips Off Charles Barkley At NBA Awards 2018

Audience members clearly realized it, too, as they laughed amid the applause. Barkley was onstage with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to present Oscar Robertson with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and also paid tribute to several NBA legends when he got to Russell and thanked him. Russell later apologized for his gesture on Twitter, where he said flipping Barkley the bird was “pure instinct.”

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Russell, who played his entire career (1956-1969) with the Celtics, has made that gesture to other people previously, however. Here, he did it to a cameraman during a game while sitting beside Chauncey Billups, and Kevin Garnett posted the photo on Instagram.

Russell was an 11-time NBA champion, a 12-time All-Star and a five-time MVP. At last year’s NBA Awards, Russell told Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Dikembe Mutombo and David Robinson he could still “kick their ass” if he really tried.

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Fans on social media quickly started making jokes about it Russell’s middle finger toward Barkley:

Russell received the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.