Bill Russell, a towering figure in the NBA and in American sports history, died at 88 on Sunday, his family announced. In addition to his 11 NBA titles and pioneering activism in Boston, Russell was also a Bay Area legend. He moved to Oakland as a child and went to McClymonds High School before a dominant college career at the University of San Francisco. Two current Warriors — Steph Curry and Andre Iguodala — have won the NBA Finals MVP award that is named after Russell.
They were among many in the NBA and the broader sports world who paid their respects to Russell after news of his death.