When Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl title on Sunday, the debate over who is the greatest athlete has already intensified.
The career achievements of the Patriots quarterback who became Buccaneers have been compared to names like Serena Williams, LeBron James and Tiger Woods, among several others in recent days.
One of the other athletes Brady was compared to is Michael Jordan. Brady’s recent Super Bowl title took him beyond the former Bulls star to the player who has the most championships between the two, sparking the debate over whether Brady is a better athlete of all time than Jordan.
As the debate intensified on social media, a Twitter user posted an image of Jordan wearing his six rings and a photoshopped image of Brady wearing his six rings, doing the same pose as Jordan. “There is a table … and only those two can sit at it ”, wrote the user with a goat emoji.
That’s when Bill Russell decided to intervene. The Celtics legend, who turned 87 on Friday, responded to the tweet by writing “Yours getting closer” and attached an image of him wearing six title rings.
You’re getting close @nba @nfl @BleacherReport @SLAMonline @ESPN https://t.co/cVAwvSt0y7 pic.twitter.com/Oll2mvW1vg
– TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) February 12, 2021
Of course, Russell has more than six NBA titles, having won 11 championships with the Celtics. In fact, Russell has won an NBA title in all but 13 NBA seasons, and his 11 championships are tied with the most titles won by any player in any of the top four American sports.
Russell’s tweet on Friday is not the first time he has entered the recent debate. Former Colts coach Tony Dungy refuted an ESPN analyst’s claim that Brady is the biggest winner in team sports by tweeting Russell’s career achievements.
Russell thanked Dungy and also boasted a little.
“8 of these in a row,” Russell wrote of his 11 titles. “Thanks for the shout, coach.”
8 in a row. Thanks for the message Coach 🙏🏾 https://t.co/uA0Ty0LS6l
– TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) February 10, 2021
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