NBA All-Time Mock Draft: Which NBA legends would get picked by teams right now?

16. Chicago — Bill Russell

The Chicago Bulls may not have existed until one of the last years of Bill Russell’s career, but for a franchise that prides itself on history it makes sense that Chicago would select the greatest player from the pre-Bird/Magic era.

Bill Russell was a dominant figure who won more NBA championships than any other player. Russell played 13 seasons and won 11 titles, a ridiculous rate of success that speaks both to his talent and the lack thereof around the NBA at the time.

Russell’s Bulls aren’t going to find anywhere near as much success as Russell’s Celtics did, especially considering that the amount of NBA teams has tripled since then, but his defensive prowess combined with Jimmy Butler’s lockdown ability on the perimeter means teams will struggle to score in Chicago.

Across his 13 seasons, Russell averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Unfortunately blocks and steals weren’t tracked then, although it’s certain that Russell routinely blocked several shots per game.

Russell wasn’t a good free throw shooter and he wasn’t incredible on offense in general, shooting just 44.0 percent from the field and 56.1 percent from the charity stripe. There are real concerns his game won’t translate all that well into the modern era.

Still, the Bulls can’t pass up on a chance to draft a player who led his team to 11 titles. The game might look different, but winning might just translate across eras. That’s the bet that the Chicago Bulls are making here, at least.