III 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 759 

Honoring Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, 11-time National Basketball 

Association champion, first Black head coach of the National Basketball 

Association, and civil rights activist. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 

Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Ms. WARREN, Ms. HASSAN, and Mr. REED) 

submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, 11-time National Basketball Association champion, first Black head 

coach of the National Basketball Association, and civil 

rights activist. 

Whereas William ‘‘Bill’’ Felton Russell was born on February 

12, 1934, in West Monroe, Louisiana; 

Whereas, after graduating from McClymonds High School in 

Oakland, California, in 1952, Russell was recruited to 

play basketball at the University of San Francisco; 

Whereas, in 2 seasons, Russell led the University of San 

Francisco Dons men’s basketball team to a combined 

record of 57–1 and 2 national championships and was 

named most outstanding player of the 1955 National 

Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball Tournament; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•SRES 759 ATS 

Whereas, in the 1956 draft for the National Basketball Association (commonly known as the ‘‘NBA’’), the Boston 

Celtics acquired Russell, who the St. Louis Hawks had 

selected with the second overall pick in the draft; 

Whereas, at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, Russell was the captain of the United States 

Men’s Olympic Basketball team, averaged a team-high 

14.1 points per game, and led the United States to a gold 

medal victory over the Soviet Union; 

Whereas, throughout his career in the NBA as a player and 

a coach, Russell earned an unprecedented number of 

awards and accolades, including— 

(1) a record 11 NBA championships, received in 

years 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 

1966, 1968, and 1969; 

(2) five Most Valuable Player awards, received in 

years 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1965; 

(3) twelve All-Star designations, received in years 

1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 

1967, 1968, and 1969; 

(4) three All-Star Game Most Valuable Player 

Awards, received in years 1959, 1963, and 1965; and 

(5) an NBA Lifetime Achievement Award, received 

in 2017; 

Whereas, in Game 7 of the 1957 NBA Finals between the 

Celtics and the St. Louis Hawks, during the final minute 

of regulation, Russell, who scored 19 points and had 32 

rebounds, hit a left-handed lay-up and then chased down 

and blocked a shot in transition, forcing the first of 2 

overtimes; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•SRES 759 ATS 

Whereas the Celtics won the game and championship in what 

fellow Celtics player Tom Heinsohn called the ‘‘greatest 

game ever’’; 

Whereas Russell was a player-coach for the Celtics from 1966 

to 1969, making him the first Black head coach in the 

history of the 4 major professional sports leagues; 

Whereas the strength, courage, and leadership of Russell extended beyond the basketball court to the fight against 

racism and for civil rights in the United States; 

Whereas, in 1961, Russell led his teammates in a boycott of 

an NBA game in Lexington, Kentucky, to protest racism 

and discrimination after a local coffee shop refused to 

serve 2 Black Celtics players; 

Whereas Russell marched with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the 1963 March on Washington 

for Jobs and Freedom; 

Whereas, in 1963, Russell offered support for demonstrations 

against segregation in Boston public schools and addressed Black students taking part in a sit-in; 

Whereas, on June 4, 1967, Russell took part in the Cleveland 

Summit, where he joined other prominent Black athletes 

to express solidarity with Muhammad Ali’s decision to 

refuse to join the Armed Forces upon being drafted to 

fight in the Vietnam War; 

Whereas, on February 15, 2011, President Barack Obama 

awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the 

highest civilian honor in the United States, stating that 

‘‘Bill Russell, the man, is someone who stood up for the 

rights and dignity of all men. He marched with King; he 

stood by Ali. When a restaurant refused to serve the 

Black Celtics, he refused to play in the scheduled game. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•SRES 759 ATS 

He endured insults and vandalism, but he kept on focusing on making the teammates who he loved better players, and made possible the success of so many who would 

follow. And I hope that one day, in the streets of Boston, 

children will look up at a statue built not only to Bill 

Russell the player, but Bill Russell the man.’’; 

Whereas, on August 11, 2022, the NBA announced that it 

will honor the life and legacy Bill Russell by permanently 

retiring his uniform number, 6, throughout the league, 

making Russell the first player to have his number retired across the NBA; 

Whereas Russell has earned the love, respect, admiration, 

and gratitude of the city of Boston, the Commonwealth 

of Massachusetts, and the United States; and 

Whereas Russell passed away on July 31, 2022, at age 88: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) honors the legendary life of William ‘‘Bill’’ 

3 Felton Russell, a giant on and off the basketball 

4 court; and 

5 (2) expresses sincere condolences to the family 

6 and friends of Russell as the city of Boston, the 

7 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the United 

8 States mourn with them. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS