Bill Russell's No. 6 to be retired across NBA following legend's death last month

The NBA will honor the legacy of Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell by retiring his No. 6 jersey for all 30 teams, the league and the National Basketball Players Association announced Thursday.

Russell becomes the first player in NBA history to have his jersey retired leaguewide.

Along with the number being retired, all NBA players will wear a commemorative patch on the right shoulder of their jerseys during the 2022-23 season and every court will display a shamrock-shaped logo with Russell's No. 6 on the sideline near the scorer's table.

«Bill Russell's unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way,» NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. «Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill's transcendent career will always be recognized.»

Starting with the 2022-23 season, no NBA team will be allowed to issue No. 6 to any player. Players who currently wear No. 6 — such as Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James — may continue to do so. According to Basketball Reference, 25 players, including James, Kristaps Porzingis, Alex Caruso, Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, wore No. 6 last season.

The league said plans for the Celtics, where Russell played all 13 years of his career, to honor Russell are still being determined and will be announced at a later date. Boston is planning a «separate and unique recognition» for Russell on its uniforms.

The NBA previously recognized Russell's contributions when it named the Finals MVP Award after him in 2009.

«This is a momentous honor reserved for one of the greatest champions to ever play the game,» NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio said in a statement. «Bill's actions on