The NBA mourns the death of Bill Russell, the 'Lord of the Rings'

While many of us consider Michael Jordan the best basketball player in history, there's someone who got many more rings than he has.
Throughout his career, Jordan won 6 NBA championships. But Bill Russell, well, that's a different level: he won 11 rings, an absolute record in the NBA. That's why they call him the Lord of the Rings.

The most surprising of all is that Bill Russell won those 11 rings in 13 seasons. In 9 of those seasons, he competed directly with Wilt Chamberlain, the player with the most impressive numbers in the history of the competition.

This is just to emphasize how much Bill Russell meant to the NBA. The legend lost his life on Sunday at the age of 88. Shams Charania from 'The Athletic' confirmed the sad news.

Bill Russell was one of the first stars of the NBA. He played for 13 seasons in the Boston Celtics jersey and elevated the team to the Olympus of Sports, winning 8 of his 11 rings consecutively (1959- 1966).

Among the milestones in Bill Russell's career is becoming the first African-American coach in the NBA. In that role, he got two more championships (1968 and 1969). After this last ring, he retired at the age of 35.

Bill Russell was also 5 times MVP (1958, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1965), 12 times All-Star, and (along with Wilt Chamberlain) the only player who grabbed more than 50 rebounds in a game. He got 51 to be exact. Apart from that, he had two other instances of 49 rebounds.

Bill Russell's rebounding statistics are overwhelming. In his 13 seasons in the NBA, this man of 6'8 (2.08 meter center) averaged 22.5 rebounds per game, connected with an average of 15 points.

The mythical 6 of the Boston Celtics also gave his name to the NBA Finals MVP trophy since 2009. An award that last season went to Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors).

The legacy of Bill Russell is not only on the court, because outside of it he was an important figure in the civil rights movement in the United States. In the photo, he stands together with Cassius Clay and Lew Alcindor.

For this reason, Barack Obama awarded him the Medal of Freedom in 2011, in a ceremony where the friendship between the two was visible.

In fact, the former president of the United States has been one of those who said goodbye to Bill Russell on social media. "Today we lost a giant. As tall as Bill Russell stood, his legacy rises far higher - both as a player and as a person."

Photo: Twitter - @BarackObama

The importance of the legendary center becomes clear when you take a look at the people who paid tribute to Bill Russell on social media. The biggest names of the NBA are there. One of the first was Magic Johnson, a legend of the Lakers, the historical rivals of the Celtics.

Photo: Twitter - @MagicJohnson

The Celtics, his team, have put Bill Russell's 6 in their profile picture and paid homage to him with a simple but resounding: "A Legend in every sense of the word."

Photo: Twitter - @Celtics

"Rest in Heaven, Mr. 11."

Photo: Twitter - @DwyaneWade

"Bill Russell was the epitome of a champion, in every sense of the word. He was an innovator who broke barriers and for all his extraordinary successes on the court, he was just as impactful off of it."

Photo: Twitter - @ScottiePippen

"The NBA family just learned this afternoon that Bill Russell, the 11-time champion and Hall of Fame icon of the Boston Celtics, who used that fame to further the civil rights cause in the United States during the turbulent 1960s, has died at the age of 88. He will be missed."

Photo: Twitter - @officialmutombo

"Bill Russell was a legendary player and coach, and an even better person. He approached everything he did with determination, principle, and wisdom. I will always be grateful for the chance to call him my friend."

Photo: Twitter - @BillClinton