Bill Russell, 11-time NBA champion, five-time MVP, two-time NCAA champion, and Olympic gold medalist, can finally add one more thing to his resume: Hall of Famer.
In a private ceremony w/my wife & close friends A.Mourning @AnnMeyers @billwalton & others I accepted my #HOF ring. In ‘75 I refused being the 1st black player to go into the @Hoophall I felt others before me should have that honor. Good to see progress; ChuckCooperHOF19 @NBA pic.twitter.com/2FI5U7ThTg
— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) November 15, 2019
Despite being inducted to the Hall in 1975, Russell did not attend the ceremony because he felt he didn’t deserve to be the first black player inducted.The Celtics legend mentioned Chuck Cooper, the first black player to be drafted into to the NBA, in his tweet.
Cooper played six seasons for the Celtics from 1950-1956 and was selected to the Hall of Fame in September of this year. He did not live to see his recognition however, he passed away at age 57 in in 1984.
“Good to see progress,” Russell tweeted about Cooper. It is possible that when he first turned down the Hall of Fame, he was waiting for someone like Cooper to be enshrined before he felt comfortable accepting the honor. After all, it was the drafting of Cooper that made it possible for Russell and other black players to make it into the NBA.
This would not be the first time Russell has accepted an honor that he originally refused. The Celtics held a public ceremony to retire his No. 6 jersey in 1999, 27 years after he refused a public jersey retirement in 1972.
