The late Bill Russell will become the first-ever NBA player to have his jersey number retired across the entire league. Russell died on July 31 at age 88.
The NBA and NBA Players’ Association (NBPA) announced that Russell’s No.6 would no longer be used by any player across the league as a show of honor for his life and legacy.
Players who currently wear No. 6, such as Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, will be allowed to continue using the number. According to Basketball Reference, 25 players, including former Dallas Maverick Kristaps Porzingis, wore No. 6 last season.
NBA teams will also display Russell’s No. 6 on their home courts, on a clover-shaped logo near their scorer’s table starting next season. All NBA players will also wear a commemorative patch in honor of Russell on their right shoulder throughout 2022-23.
The Boston Celtics, with whom Russell played all 13 seasons of his NBA career, will have a “separate and unique recognition for him on their uniforms” planned.
“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said with the league’s announcement. “Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognized.”
The NBA previously honored Russell when it named the Finals MVP Award after him in 2009.
He won 11 championships with the Celtics during his 13-year career. Russell was named MVP of the NBA five times and was an 11-time All-NBA selection.
Russell became Boston’s player-coach in 1966 and led the team to back-to-back titles in 1968 and 1969. Nobody has worn No. 6 for the Celtics since Russell’s final season in 1968-69.
Russell is still second all-time in NBA history in rebounds (21,620) and rebounds per game (22.5). He is also the leading rebounder in NBA postseason history with 4,104 total rebounds (24.9 per game).
The 11-time champion was the ultimate winner, leading the University of San Francisco to consecutive NCAA championships during his college days and winning a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics.
Russell was also known for his work in civil rights. He marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama.
“This is a momentous honor reserved for one of the greatest champions to ever play the game,” NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio said in a statement. “Bill’s actions on and off the court throughout the course of his life helped to shape generations of players for the better, and for that, we are forever grateful. We are proud to continue the celebration of his life and legacy alongside the league.”
Having his number retired leaguewide puts Russell in a very exclusive club. Major League Baseball permanently retired No. 42 in 1997 in honor of Jackie Robinson, who broke the league’s color barrier. Players already wearing No. 42 were allowed to keep using it.
Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees was the last player in the MLB to wear No. 42, doing so through his retirement after the 2013 season.
Upon Wayne Gretzky’s retirement in 1999, the NHL retired his No. 99 leaguewide in honor of the league’s all-time scoring leader.
