Bill Russell

Bill Russell won eleven NBA championships in thirteen seasons with the Boston Celtics — the most dominant dynasty in professional sports history. He was the first Black head coach in any major American sport, serving as player-coach for the Celtics starting in 1966.

Russell redefined basketball. Before him, the game was about scoring. He made defense and shot-blocking an art form, anchoring a team that won championships through collective excellence rather than individual star power.

Off the court, Russell was a fierce civil rights advocate. He marched with Martin Luther King Jr., supported Muhammad Ali, and confronted Boston's notorious racism head-on — including fans who vandalized his home. In 2011, President Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.