Netflix releases first trailer for ‘Bill Russell: Legend’ documentary
The upcoming film about the Celtics great premieres February 8.
Netflix on Wednesday released the first trailer for “Bill Russell: Legend,”offering viewers a glimpse of what to expect from the upcoming documentary about the late Celtics great.
Directed by Sam Pollard (“MLK/FBI”), the two-part film will feature the last interview with Russell prior to his passing in July 2022, and will also delve into the center’s personal archives.
Early in the trailer, Russell cracks a joke about being cut from his junior varsity team — a small speed bump on the road to back-to-back NCAA titles, a 1956 Olympic gold medal, and 11 NBA championships.
“Bill Russell: Legend” will also highlight Russell’s human rights work and activism, from marching with Martin Luther King Jr. to leading boycotts over racist practices in the NBA. Even later in life, Russell continued to speak out for social justice later in life, sharing messages on Twitter and penning op-eds highlighting racial inequities in America.
In archival footage shown in the trailer, former President Barack Obama describes Russell best, shortly before awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
“More than any athlete of his era, Bill Russell came to define the word winner,” Obama said. “Bill Russell the man is someone who stood up for the rights and dignity of all men.”
Narrated by actors Jeffrey Wright and Corey Stoll, “Bill Russell: Legend” features interviews with Russell’s family and friends, as well as a number of current and former athletes, including Larry Bird, Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Jayson Tatum, Isiah Thomas, Jalen Rose, Magic Johnson, and Jim Brown.
“Bill Russell: Legend” will be released on Netflix February 8.
Watch the first trailer for the film below.
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