Bill Russell, Legendary Basketball Player and Coach, Dies at 88
Russell’s last two championships with the Celtics in 1968 and 1969 were also achieved with him as a player-coach, replacing his legendary coach Red Auerbach after his retirement at the end of the 1966-67 season and becoming the first Black coach in NBA history. Many of Russell’s victories came at the expense of the Los Angeles Lakers, as Russell defeated legends like Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain in the NBA Finals.