Basketball Legend Passes Away at 87

William Felton Russell was an American former professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association from 1956 to 1969. In 13 seasons, Russell won 11 NBA championships (1957, 1959–66, and 1968–69). In 1964, Russell’s Celtics were the first NBA team to ever start five African-American players, 14 years after becoming the first franchise to ever draft an African-American when they selected Chuck Cooper in the 1950 NBA Draft. On March 31st 2021, Russell passed away at the age of 87 in West Monroe, Los Angeles. Read more at “The Washington Post”