As far as championships are concerned, Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell will never be topped. The 11-time champion is the greatest winner in NBA history, always the leader of his team, and also one of the most outspoken athletes during the Civil Rights. But just because most of us didn’t see him play, doesn’t mean he’s going to give in easily to people passing over his legacy, even in praise of LeBron James. Russell, who is active on twitter, came back at LeBron-confidant Kendrick Perkins, who changed his tune.
Earlier this week, Kendrick Perkins shared a video from LeBron’s first stint in Cleveland, calling him the most athletic player to ever play the game. And as far as I’ve seen, that’s hard to dispute, but Russell threw out his own athletic feats, which included an Olympic-qualifying high-jump and excellence as a sprinter.
We also have to keep in mind that Russell’s teams often had to get past Wilt Chamberlain, another NBA legend who was also an elite college high-jumper. Perkins, who is a known LeBron campaigner, even had to fall back to respect the legend on this one.
LeBron’s respect for Russell has never been in doubt. James mentioned Russell as one of his inspirations for starting the non-profit “More Than a Vote,” which is meant to improve Black voter turnout and combat voter suppression.
