The greatest Celtic ever to lace a pair of court shoes

Boston is known for sports. It is home to champions and legends. One such legend is Bill Russell, who many regard as the greatest Celtic ever to lace a pair of court shoes. For this blog post, Stephen Stapinski, a Celtic fan from Andover, shares some trivia on the indomitable Bill Russell.

William Felton "Bill" Russell holds the record of being the youngest player ever to win a collegiate, NBA, and Olympic championship, which he accomplished at 23. His journey with the Celtics began in 1956 when the St. Louis Hawks traded Russell for Cliff Hagan and Ed Macauley. One of the biggest trade busts in NBA history, Russell and the Celtics would defeat the Hawks in the NBA Finals three times.

Though Russell won the MVP in 1958, 1961, and 1962, he was not included in the NBA mythical team in these years, which many fans, including Stephen Stapinski, could not understand.

Russel averaged a staggering 18.6 rebounds per game one year before he decided to retire, and this was his lowest yearly average. He won five MVP awards, equaling Michael Jordan and only one shy of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He holds the record for having won the most number of NBA championships in history with 11 rings in 13 seasons, with 8 of them won in consecutive years.

However, if you ask Stephen Stapinski what was most mind-blowing of all of Russell's achievements, it's his win-loss record in the postseason – 29 - 2. No other player comes close.