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NBA will rightfully give Bill Russell Lifetime Achievement award

By Dave Daniels

Feb 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; NBA former players from left Yao Ming , Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell are honored during a timeout in the first half of the NBA All Star Game at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 14, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; NBA former players from left Yao Ming , Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell are honored during a timeout in the first half of the NBA All Star Game at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Bill Russell will be given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the NBA later this month, and it probably should’ve happened long before this.

The NBA is premiering a new awards show soon, and it will also be their first time giving out a Lifetime Achievement Award. If you even have to ask who this is going to, then you are probably not interested in the roots of basketball. Bill Russell will rightfully be given this honor, and it should’ve been awarded a long time ago.

The show will air on June 26 at 9 PM EST on TNT. It appears the NBA is trying to become a topic in the news for 365 days out of the year, because this will happen right on the heels of NBA free agency.

Russell is far too often left out of the conversation when it comes to the greatest player of all time. His accomplishments on the floor are unparalleled. He won 11 championships in 13 seasons of NBA basketball as the most dominant defensive presence the league has ever (or probably will ever) see. He also has an Olympic gold medal and two NCAA championships. If the NBA had kept track of blocks during his career, then there would be multiple games where Russell blocked over 10 shots. He would probably still have more recorded blocks than anyone who has ever played, and we would definitely view him a bit differently.

Russell deserves even more credit for his achievements off of the hardwood. He was a major part of the Ali Summit in Cleveland during 1967, and he was the first African-American coach in pro sports.

He won two championships in his time as a player-coach. This is why, along with the other nine titles, that the NBA Finals MVP award is named after him. Russell conducted himself with class and dignity throughout his entire career. You could say that he was the Muhammad Ali of basketball.

Next: NBA 1980s All-Decade First Team

Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James may have carried on the torch, but it never would’ve been lit in the first place if not for William Fenton Russell.

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