LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 18: Bill Russell (L) greets Jimmy Butler at the NBA All-Star Game 2018 at Staples Center on February 18, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)In American team sports, the GOAT conversation has widely come down to Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. But NBA legend Bill Russell wants in on the conversation too.
Taking to Twitter this past week, Russell retweeted a user who declared that only Jordan and Brady can sit at the GOAT table. Russell posted a picture of himself with seven of his 11 rings and declared “You’re getting closer.”
In 13 NBA seasons, Russell won 11 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics. Two of those titles he won as a player-coach when the great Red Auerbach retired in 1966. Eight of them came alongside the late-great KC Jones.
Russell’s post has gone viral since then, garnering over 66,000 likes on Twitter and thousands more retweets. Given his accomplishments, it’s easy to understand why.
The photo speaks for itself.
Your getting closer @nba @nfl @BleacherReport @SLAMonline @espn https://t.co/cVAwvSt0y7 pic.twitter.com/Oll2mvW1vg
— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) February 12, 2021
There’s no denying that Bill Russell is one of the greatest athletes in American history. He was a 12-time All-Star, led the NBA in rebounds five times, and sits behind only the late-great Wilt Chamberlain in all-time rebounds per game.
Combine that with his aforementioned 11 rings and you have a rock solid case for Bill Russell belonging in the GOAT conversation.
The flip side of the argument is how absolutely stacked Russell’s Celtics team were. His teammates consisted of eight Hall of Famers, all of whom deserve their spot in the Hall.
The GOAT conversation will likely go on forever, but it’s always nice to have a few extra people in it.
