Bill Russell, NBA legend and Boston Celtics great, dies aged 88

Bill Russell, 11-time NBA champion and the first black coach for any US professional sports team, has died.

“Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully today at age 88, with his wife, Jeannine, by his side,” his family said in a statement.

During his prolific NBA career with the Boston Celtics, Russell won 11 championships, was named to the All-Star team 12 times and was named the league's most valuable player five times. He won a gold medal for the US during the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.

Bill Russell: 11-time NBA champion. Five-time MVP. Member of the 25, 50, 75 Greatest Ever Anniversary teams. Two-time NCAA champion. Olympic Gold Medalist. And two NBA championships as the first Black head coach in North American pro sports history. A legend in every way. https://t.co/CYq6V3Mc6h

Russell became the first black coach of any North American professional sports team in 1966, when he was announced as a player-coach for his beloved Celtics. He led the team to two NBA titles in 1968 and 1969 as player-coach.

Such was Russell's impact on the game that the league dedicated the Finals MVP trophy in his name.

“Bill Russell was the greatest champion in all of team sports. The countless accolades that he earned for his storied career with the Boston Celtics … only begin to tell the story of Bill's immense impact on our league and broader society,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.

Russell's legacy in US sports extends far beyond the parquet floors of TD Garden in Boston.

He and other black teammates boycotted a 1961 exhibition game over racial discrimination, led the first integrated basketball camp in Mississippi and thrust his support behind the Black Lives Matter