Warriors to honor, retire Bill Russell’s number prior to Finals rematch against Celtics

Bryan Lambert
·2 min read

The two cities that share Bill Russell’s championship legacy will unite to honor and immortalize the basketball legend prior to their championship rematch.

Shortly before tipoff against the Celtics, the Warriors will hoist Russell’s No.6 jersey into the rafters of the Chase Center.

Although Russell was born in Louisiana, the basketball Hall-of-Famer spent much of his formative years in the Bay Area, including two championship years in three seasons at the University of San Francisco.

Although the NBA announced in August that Russell’s jersey will be retired league-wide (the first time an NBA player has been honored in such a manner), the Warriors are going the extra mile to honor the man who blossomed into a basketball star in the Bay Area.

“His number is being retired around the NBA, but the significance here is that Bill was from Oakland, played high school ball there, and played at USF. He made such an impact on the Bay Area that it feels more special here than it would in any other city, other than Boston,” said the Warriors in a statement.

Russell’s daughter, attorney Karen Kenyatta Russell, will share a few thoughts during the pregame ceremony, as will former Warriors COO Rick Welts, who shared a friendship with Russell that spanned five decades, according to NBC Sports Bay Area.

Russell and his family moved to Oakland in the early 1940′s with Russell playing high school basketball at McClymonds High School. Despite only receiving one scholarship offer, his career at USF quickly catapulted Russell into a household name in basketball circles. Months after leading the Dons to the 1956 NCAA Championship, Russell helped Team USA capture a Gold Medal at the summer Olympic games in Melbourne, Australia.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 4: The University of San Francisco's Bill Russell, left, plays in a game against Loyola of Los Angeles in the opening game of a double-header at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, CA., on February 4, 1955. USF defeated Loyola 65-55 in the game. (Bill Young/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 4: The University of San Francisco's Bill Russell, left, plays in a game against Loyola of Los Angeles in the opening game of a double-header at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, CA., on February 4, 1955. USF defeated Loyola 65-55 in the game. (Bill Young/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

Russell made frequent trips back to the Bay Area to participate in an annual pro-am golf tournament.

“We’re very proud of the legacy that Bill Russell left here in the Bay and across the NBA,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said.

In addition to Russell’s on-court legacy, which includes 11 NBA championships and five MVPs, he was also a devoted civil rights activist and participated with Martin Luther King Jr. on the 1963 March on Washington. Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010.

The first of two championship rematches between the Celtics and Warriors this season will get underway at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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