Warriors honoring local legend Bill Russell ahead of clash with Celtics
"We're very proud of the legacy that Bill Russell left here in the Bay and across the NBA."
The Warriors will honor Bill Russell ahead of their matchup with the Celtics on Saturday by hoisting his jersey to the rafters.
Russell’s daughter, Karen Kenyatta Russell, will share some thoughts. Warriors Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts – who knew Russell for almost 50 years – and Tom Meschery, who competed against Russell in the 1960s and 1970s, will do the same.
Every NBA team is retiring his number, but this ceremony carries even more weight because of his ties to the Bay Area.
Russell moved to Oakland in elementary school and starred at both McClymonds High School in West Oakland and the University of San Francisco. He won two state championships in high school and two more in college before capturing 11 titles with the Celtics.
Steph Curry called him a “trailblazer,” an “icon,” and the “Greatest Champ in basketball.”
“We’re very proud of the legacy that Bill Russell left here in the Bay and across the NBA,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
Every player’s jersey in the NBA this season has a No. 6 badge to honor Russell, who died in July at age 88.
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