If there is one champion who dominated American sport like no other, it was Bill Russell. The recent debate between Michael Jordan and Tom Brady must irk the Celtics legend to no end.
Advertisement
Michael Jordan is commonly viewed as the greatest team athlete in American history. The likes of Wayne Gretzy and Babe Ruth are some other contenders. Tom Brady recently outlasted MJ in terms of championship wins, with his seventh Super Bowl victory on Sunday evening.
Bill Russell is the most successful NBA player of all time, so he understandably feels left out in the whole conversation. The former Boston Celtics big man noted that Brady is getting closer to his count of 11 championships.
The NBA Finals MVP trophy is named after Russell. The big man won those won 11 rings from 1957 to 1969. Along with those accolades, Russell was a 12-time All-Star and was named league MVP five times.
Where does Bill Russell stand among the sporting greats of USA?
Russell laid the foundation for many of the facilities that NBA players enjoy today. He had a crucial role in the foundation of the National Basketball Players Association with Oscar Robertson. The league has evolved a lot since his day, and Bill Russell began the revolution around help defensive concepts.
Still, he was a comparatively limited player on the offensive end. The likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James and Michael Jordan have him beat on that end while only giving up a small edge on defense.
Still, it never hurts for a player with such accolades to engage in a bit of social media banter. Russell is viewed as the godfather of the current NBA.
