NBA to honor Bill Russell by retiring No. 6 across the league

Bill Russell’s No. 6 jersey is being retired across the NBA, a first for the league.

Bill Russell’s No. 6 jersey is being retired across the NBA, a first for the league.

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association announced Thursday that the number worn by the 11-time champion, civil rights activist and person good enough to be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach was being permanently retired by all 30 teams.

“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognized.”

Barack Obama on Bill Russell: I learned so much from the way he lived his lifeAug. 12, 202202:06Players who currently wear No. 6 — including the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James — may continue doing so. But the number cannot be issued again, the league said.

All NBA players will wear a patch on the right shoulder of their jerseys this season, the league said, and every NBA court will display a clover-shaped logo with the No. 6 on the sideline near the scorer’s table.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/nba-honor-bill-russell-retiring-no-6-league-rcna42771

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