The New England region and Boston sports fans worldwide were informed of tragic news on Sunday as Boston Celtics legend and NBA Hall of Famer Bill Russell passed away. He was 88 years old.
Russell was a cornerstone player and coach for the Celtics organization during its dynastic run in the 1960s, helping the team win an unprecedented 11 NBA titles in his 13 seasons, eight of them coming in a row.
In a statement shared by Russell’s wife over his social media accounts, she stated he died “peacefully” with her by his side. Russell was recently battling an undisclosed illness, as he was not present for the NBA Finals between his Celtics and Golden State Warriors in June.