NBA will retire the No. 6 jersey across the league in honor of Celtic legend Bill Russell

The No. 6 will never be issued by the NBA again after the league revealed they will retire the number as a tribute to Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell.

Eleven-time NBA champion and civil rights campaigner Russell died at the age of 88 Sunday. 

There had been calls to retire Russell’s jersey number in honor of one of the most influential basketball players, and now the NBA and NBPA have decided to never release a No. 6 shirt again.

LeBron James wears the No 6 with the Lakers

‘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 Thursday.

‘Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognized.’

‘This is a momentous honor reserved for one of the greatest champions to ever play the game,’ NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio said. 

 Eleven-time NBA champion and civil rights campaigner Russell died at the age of 88 Sunday

‘Bill’s actions on and off the court throughout the course of his life helped to shape generations of players for the better and for that, we are forever grateful. We are proud to continue the celebration of his life and legacy alongside the league.’

The No 6 had already been retired by the Celtics but Russell is the first player to have his number to be removed league-wide.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and fellow current wearers of the No. 6 will be able to keep wearing it as they will be grandfathered. However, a new shirt bearing that number will not be handed out again.

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. 

Meanwhile the Celtics have ‘separate and unique recognition for him on their uniforms’ planned for the 2022-23 campaign.

Russell’s 11 titles with the Celtics came between 1956 and 1969 in one of the sport’s most dominant eras but while playing for Boston, endured significant racism and abuse.

But Russell used his position to push for equality throughout his life. Notably, he was at the March on Washington in 1963, when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, and he backed Muhammad Ali when the boxer was pilloried for refusing induction into the military draft.

Russell also won an Olympic gold medal in Melbourne with the United States in 1956 and two NCAA titles at San Francisco in 1955 and 56, success that paved the way for him to become a five-time NBA MVP and 12-time All-Star.

Russell averaged 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds over 13 seasons (1956-69) with the Celtics. He was first inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1975, then again as a coach in 2021. 

In addition to his civil rights work, he’s considered one of the greatest winners in US sports history and the greatest defensive player in NBA history. 

The native of Louisiana also left a lasting mark as a black athlete in a city – and country – where race is often a flash point. 

In 2011, Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Obama – the highest civilian honor in the United States.