“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights movement deserves to be celebrated in a unique and historic way,” Silver said in a statement. By permanently retiring the number 6, Bill’s extraordinary career will always be recognized.”
Current NBA players wearing the number 6, including Lakers star LeBron James, will be allowed to continue, but teams will not be able to issue numbers to new players.
Major League Baseball permanently retired the number 42 in Robinson’s honor in 1997, half a century after he broke the sport’s color barrier. Russell became the first black coach in the NBA in 1966 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2011.
Named after Russell with the Finals MVP award in 2009, the NBA will honor his career throughout the 2022-23 season. In addition to his patch on a commemorative jersey, a court insignia with his number 6 on the Celtics clover logo is placed near his table at every arena scorer.
“Bill’s actions on and off the court during Bill’s life have helped shape generations of players for the better,” said Tamika Tremaglio, Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association. “We are proud to continue celebrating his life and legacy with the league.”
Russell’s No. 6 retired from the University of San Francisco, where he won NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956, and the Celtics, where he played his entire 13-year NBA career from 1956-1969.
League-wide jersey retirement is the latest honor to be recognized historic careerAt USF, Russell was a two-time All-American and Most Valuable Player in the 1955 NCAA Tournament. After winning gold at the Olympics in Melbourne in 1956, Russell was named MVP with the Celtics five times, an All-Star he was named 12 times, and an All-NBA he was named 11 times.
After retiring, Russell was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach, was named to the NBA’s 25th, 35th, 50th and 75th Anniversary teams, and received the league’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
