The news of Bill Russell’s passing has many fans of basketball heartbroken. Fans say the legacy that Russell had as a Celtic and a coach for the Supersonics in the early 70s was truly remarkable for any athlete.
“He was so impactful in the league in the 60s and changing the tide for basketball fans in general,” fan Malcom Byrd said.
“It’s sad. A great man is gone,” fan Harrel Dayse said.
Dayse says Russell’s actions both on and off the court were remarkable. He believed Russell had the mentality of true team basketball.
“And youngsters need to pick that up. What he tried to bring to the game. Unity and cohesiveness and the best five of us go out here and try to win something and not glorify an individual,” Hayse said.
But it was his activism during the civil rights era that Dayse says is truly inspiring.
“He really was when it cost. It really doesn’t cost much now to holler and scream, but back then it did. And like I said, I admired that,” Dayse said.
And while many are sad to know Bill Russell is gone, they believe his legacy will live on.
“Those are the kind of lessons you get passed down from those people,” fan Preston Goulson said.
“He should be remembered as a great athlete. He should be remembered as a strong, dominate black man. You know. He was a great force and he’ll be missed for sure,” Byrd said.
“By not forgetting the things he stood for and tried to do while he was here. That’s how you remember anybody from the past. You don’t forget them,” Dayse said.
Russell’s death has many in basketball, entertainment and politics like Washington Gov. Jay Inslee sharing their thoughts online; remembering the Mercer Island resident for his impact in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the country.