The NBA will retire the #6 across the league in honor of Bill Russell's legacy
erikthredd
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I think that this is a great move but why did it take Bill Russell dying for this to be done? This will be the first time that any jersey number has been retired league wide.
edit: This will be interesting to see how many of these 25 players actually choose to change jersey numbers including Lebron.
from the article:
Starting with the 2022-23 season, no NBA team will be allowed to issue No. 6 to any player. Players who currently wear No. 6 -- such as Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James -- may continue to do so. According to Basketball Reference, 25 players, including James, Kristaps Porzingis, Alex Caruso, Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, wore No. 6 last season.
Eric
Erikthredd’s MJ Collection: https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset/395035
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Comments
About time. Shame the league couldn't have done it when he was with us and could enjoy the honor. Maybe at a time when he could have toured the league and be recognized for his talents and contributions.
I will be the skunk in the room.
Bill Russel was the perfect player for that Boston Celtics dynasty. He was a defensive genius who could clog up the middle, which is a key to basketball success. He beat Wilt Chamberlain game after game because the rest of the Celtics team had more offense.
He was an offensive bust. His free throw percentage was almost as bad as Wilt Chamberlain who was legendarily bad. On offense I saw him miss a slam dunk that hit the iron and bounced out at half court. I remember six points a game as normal for him. As a player, he was a larger Satcht Sanders with good press. He was great with the Celtics, but if he were with a team that needed offense from the center position, he would have been a big disappointment.
As for the rest......just a bunch of young whippersnappers who never saw the man play a single minute..... Hype City.....
John Havlicek was the star.....not Russell.....You know it.....and so do I.
I like it, they need to retire Jordan's number also.
Bill Russell is the true NBA GOAT.
I would never have considered Russell to be the greatest NBA player of all time. No doubt he was one of a group of the best, but the best?.....I must have missed something. Those Celtics teams were tremendous and if he was the main reason... well maybe he was the best. I just don't know.
He was the coach for the Celtics in 1969(?) when the Celtics and Lakers met up in the championship. The Lakers were probably the better team but the Celtics won the championship. Russell's strategy was brilliant!.... He suckered the Lakers in the first two games. He let West and Baylor run wild.. The Lakers won both games. Then Russell totally reversed the game plan and it threw the Lakers into confusion!.... The Lakers never figured it out.....That is what I remember most about Russell.....his brilliant coaching in that series!