Bill Russell famously won 11 championships – eight of them coming in an eight-year span of Boston dominance.
Not only are the Celtics’ eight consecutive titles an NBA record, they’re a modern record across the four major North American sports.
- NBA championships: 8 – Boston Celtics (1959-66)
- World Series: 5 – New York Yankees (1949-53)
- Stanley Cups: 5 – Montreal Canadiens (1956-60)
- Super Bowls: 2 – New England Patriots (2004-05), Denver Broncos (1998-99), Dallas Cowboys (1993-94), San Francisco 49ers (1989-90), Pittsburgh Steelers (1979-80), Pittsburgh Steelers (1975-76), Miami Dolphins (1973-74), Green Bay Packers (1967-68)
You’d think Russell would know what he accomplished.
But maybe not.
Russell, via NBA.com:
Sometimes, former players exaggerate their accomplishments. I don’t enjoy the practice of, implicitly or explicitly, shaming current players for living up to a standard nobody has ever met.
Maybe Russell was more focused than anyone today – you know the Heat know they’re trying to three-peat. But more likely, this story is embellished.
Russell is an all-time great player who should be held in the highest regard in league history. I don’t want to accuse him of lying or intentionally misleading or anything of the sort. So, I’ll end the post here.