Celtics reveal Bill Russell tribute jerseys

The Boston Celtics will take the floor to start the new season paying homage to a recently lost legend.

The team unveiled their 2022-’23 “City” uniforms Monday- a green, black and gold set with elements celebrating the life and legacy of Bill Russell. The Celtics say they designed the uniforms with the help of the Hall of Famer before he passed.

The gold trim on the jersey signifies the “golden era” of basketball the team sustained during Russell’s playing days. With Russell patrolling the paint, the Celtics won 11 championships, including eight straight from 1959-1967. Eleven diamonds cascade down the side of the jersey, representing the championship total that has yet to be matched by any individual NBA player.

The black and gold colors also pay tribute to Russell’s legacy off the court.

“However, it was the barriers that he broke not only on the court, as the first Black head coach and a member of the first all-Black starting five, but off the court that truly made him ‘The Gold Standard,’ a consistent reminder of what it truly means to be a Celtic,” the team said in a statement.

The cursive script across the front of the jersey is done in the same style as Slade’s Bar and Grill, an iconic Boston restaurant that was owned by Russell in the 1960′s.

Russell’s number 6 also adorns the waistband of the shorts, surrounded by 11 diamonds.

The Celtics will wear the uniforms for their opening night matchup against the Sixers on Tuesday and 10 additional times later in the year.

The uniforms wont be the only on-court tribute to Russell this year. Number 6 memorial patches will adorn every player’s jersey and Russell’s number can also be spotted on every court near the scoring table. The NBA also announced that Russell’s number would become the first ever to be retired league-wide in August.

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