“Bill Russell: Legend,” the two-part documentary on the ultimate Celtics champion and civil rights icon that begins streaming on Netflix Wednesday, is compelling, complete, and worth every minute of your attention.
What it is not is revelatory. “Legend,” directed by Sam Pollard (”MLK/FBI,” “Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power”), does feature some spectacular unfamiliar visuals — a scene of Russell, wearing a party hat and dancing with his Celtics teammates and their wives at a post-championship celebration, feels heartwarming until your mind finally gets the hint. And then the scene of people of different races savoring each others’ company wallops you as a jarring contrast to the racism Russell and his Black teammates endured.