- Fans are debating the GOAT of leading professional sports, with many suggesting Tom Brady or Michael Jordan.
- Bill Russell and his record of 11 NBA championships have other ideas.
- The recency bias may compel fans to hold Brady or Jordan in high esteem, but Russell is second to none.
- Visit the Insider home page for more stories.
After Tom Brady’s seventh record Super Bowl victory, fans are debating whether the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback or NBA legend Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time – or GOAT.
But when it comes to winning titles, Brady and Jordan are just kids compared to the one and only Bill Russell – and the legendary Boston Celtics center allows them to hear that.
Tom Brady holds his seventh Vince Lombardi Trophy of his career.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Russell on Friday – by the way, his 87th birthday – used Twitter to remind fans who were fawning over Brady and Jordan’s championship ring collections that he was the matchless king of championships. He is worth more than two hands.
—TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) February 12, 2021
The league’s five-time MVP and 12-time All-Star won 11 incredible NBA finals over the course of his 13-year career in Boston. While his 15.1 points per game during that period may seem disheartening to modern NBA fans, his 22.5 rebounds per game remain absolutely impressive some 50 years after his last season competing in the league.
Before his playing days were over, Russell channeled his feats on the court for training. He served as coach-player for the Celtics from 1966 to 1969. Then, as soon as he left the hardwood, he became a coach for the Seattle SuperSonics and, later, the Sacramento Kings.
Russell, on the left, tries to block a shot by fellow NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain.
Bettmann / Getty images
The astronomical achievements of Russell’s career – and his efforts for civil rights out of court – have made him an icon in the sports world, and this shows the honors he has accumulated throughout his life. In addition to his 11 NBA championships, 12 All-Star nods and five MVP awards, Russell won an Olympic gold medal, two NCAA championships, two state college championships, a Presidential Medal of Freedom and the NBA’s lifetime achievement. . Award.
As if that were not enough, the NBA renamed its MVP finals award in honor of Russell in 2009.
Russell wears his Presidential Medal of Freedom.
REUTERS / Danny Moloshok
The recent bias may compel fans to hold Brady’s seven Lombardi trophies and five MVP awards or Jordan’s six rings and four MVPs in high esteem, but the vast sum of Russell’s accomplishments remains unparalleled. When it comes to important professional sports in the United States, Russell reigns supreme.