Bill Russell wants NFL players who knelt for anthem to know ‘they are not alone’
"Just tell those NFL players, I'm with them."
A day after he tweeted out a photo of himself taking a knee while wearing the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Celtics legend Bill Russell offered additional context into his thought process.
“What I wanted was to let those guys know is I support them,”Russell told ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan. “I wanted them to know they are not alone.”
Russell’s newly established Twitter account attracted attention for the powerful photo of the 83-year-old taking a knee:
Proud to take a knee, and to stand tall against social injustice.” #takeaknee #medaloffreedom #NFL #BillRussell #MSNBC pic.twitter.com/1MhinoAcW7
— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) September 25, 2017
The 11-time NBA champion was somewhat surprised by the reaction. When he was told about the thousands of retweets the photo got on social media, Russell had a simple explanation.
“Hey, I’m new at this.”
Ultimately, Russell’s message is clear.
“Just tell those NFL players, I’m with them.”
