Bill Russell Accepts Hall of Fame Ring After 44 Years
By Z Roney
In 1975, 11-time NBA champion, 5-time MVP, 3-time All-NBA first team, and 12-time all-star Bill Russell was given his merited praise and commemoration by being inducted into the Hall of Fame. For many, this is a reward of the highest honor in the world of basketball – a lifetime goal and dream to strive for – and he was the first black player to receive this accolade. However, for some unbeknownst reason at the time, Bill did not accept the symbolic ring. In fact, he continued to refuse the memento for 44 years, boycotting the ceremony.
However, just a couple of weeks ago, his attitude towards the event changed. Hosting a private ceremony, he finally accepted the Hall of Fame ring, and gave fans his reasoning for his prior actions. There were other players who he felt deserved the honor of being the first black Hall-of-Famer besides him, such as Chuck Cooper, Sweetwater Clifton, and Earl Lloyd, who all played before him, being the first African-American players to be drafted. However, none of them were inducted before the turn of the century; Lloyd was inducted in 2003, while Clifton was inducted in 2014. Chuck Cooper was the latest to be inducted, only receiving the honor this past September. It was after this when Russell finally accepted the ring himself. Bill Russell is the greatest winner in the history of North American sports, and the achiever of countless jaw-dropping accolades – but regardless of these accomplishments, he is still a man of principle.
