This is where Bill is unmatched

This is Bill at his best, plain and simple. I hope that he does an update to the Book of Basketball. Rest in Peace, Mr. Russell.

Incredible how old Russell looked in 2013 fighting heart conditions. He almost made it 10 years since that interview!

Great eulogy, Simmons. Best storytelling about Russell that I've listened to or read this week, and finest selection of vids and pics. Nailed it, brother. Fine work.

Simmons has a way with words that speaks into your soul, transports you to his experiences, gives you memories you never had, but somehow, you now have something that will stick with you forever.

R.I.P To Bill Russell. The greatest winner in the history of basketball itself. We'll never see a player quite like him again. The personification of a champion both on the court and in life as a civil rights icon. He will be sorely missed.🙏🏾

RIP Bill Russell... this video hit even harder when at the end of the clip while Kobe is getting his Finals MVP award all of the five people in the middle have already passed on smh... RIP to them all...

We need a book of basketball 2.5, 3.0, 7.2 call it what you want we just want more!

Bill Russell was the one reason I looked forward to the NBA Finals every year. You knew every year he'd be there along side the brass to hand out the Finals MVP. It always felt right, it always seemed official. Because he was the ambassador of the NBA. He was what made the NBA today, and now a giant shadow will be missing forever. With nobody around to fill it.

Brilliant piece, Bill. Thanks!!! It just cemented my belief that Russell was the best basketball player in NBA history, and to me it's not a close call. Even given that, I believe that what he did off the court dwarfs his basketball achievements. He's been an idol of mine my entire life, and I will miss him dearly.

Amazing tribute to a legend. Well done

Bill, I've been following you since before I started Only Baseball Matters, which you may remember from the early 2000s. This is your best work, by far. I am blown away by this. Congrats!!

Easily one of the best stories told in sports. I hung on to every word Bill said.

This is why my love for Simmons will never wane. The storytelling is unparalleled. RIP Bill Russell!

This is very powerful, very beautiful. I've read and have taken in lessons from his great autobiography, Second Wind. After reading the book and studying his game from the clips that are available on KZfaq, I've come to believe that he's the greatest NBA player ever, and would dominate any era he played in. Scouting his own team. Brilliant. The reverence Simmons has for Russell is palpable and moving here. What I like best about Simmons' writing is his study of excellence, and the insights culled and shared from that study hasn't been finer than here. In Second Wind, Russell talked about how he dearly loved the eight hour bus rides he took when he began seriously playing basketball, how he'd review in his mind the plays from the game before, and then visualize how he'd execute in the next game. He and K.C. Jones studied how to come up on a player on their blind spots. Russell was a true artist. He also possessed one of the most athletic physiques ever, having been a world class track athlete as well. But, in keeping with his Art of War mindset, he would save that extra burst for when he really needed it, like in his last Finals in 1969. In Game 7, he decided to turn it into a 48 minute sprint, outrunning the eventually gassed Lakers.

Great content here. The fact it took Obama asking Boston to build Russell a statue when he was getting Medal of Honor more then 40 years after he retired as best player on 11🏆! He deserved to be pissed at Boston can anyone really blame him?!?! I had already seen the interview but the way this is put together is GREAT! The only part that is embarrassing here is Hakeem ranked 12th and the usual homerism😅! Such a legend! May he Rest In Peace!

22:17 all three of them are gone that made me very sad and appreciative all at once

When we talk about how players from different eras would play today, I like to imagine that's it's the mind that is born in 1990. So a Bill Russell WOULD make it in the NBA today. His skillset would be like a better passing, higher basketball IQ Dennis Rodman or Ben Wallace. He'd be an 18/13/7 guy and perennial all defensive first teamer, perennial MVP contender, and he absolutely could be the best player on a modern champion. When you pair the absolute desire and determination to win with a body gifted to deliver that, magic happens. Russell could win at least three modern championships, and I think even five wouldn't be out of the question.

Phenomenal episode, very beautiful yet tragic storytelling. The greatest of respect to the greatest winner in NBA history

Holy cow, this was sooooo good. Incredible job Bill Simmons!! I learned a lot, thank you!!

not just a lost for the world of sports but a lost for mankind rip to bill the realest to ever do it

I was Blessed and fortunate enough to have met the man and introduce him to my 2 sons at a book signing for his book, 'RUSSELL Rules' 11 Lessons on leadership...2001 in downtown DC. There were hundreds of people in line, black, white, old, young... but I was the only one I saw who had his children. He spent a full 5 minutes talking with us...he was so kind, so happy, so funny. As we were about to leave I told him how my sons were both getting into the game and asked if he would offer some pointers. He reflected for a few seconds then said, '1) Do all of your schoolwork and chores. 2) Play as much as you can... He hesitated, then his eyes lit up, and he said 3) And have fun!' As I shook his hand and thanked him for his time, he pulled me close, looked me in the eyes and said, 'Thank YOU for bringing your children.' My kids are grown now but they thank me as well... RIP to one of the greatest men America has ever produced. If he's not the 'goat', there is NO such thing.

This was incredible, thank you Mr. Simmons. Rest in peace to the great Bill Russell.

If your goal is just win, regardless of anything else, Bill Russell is the goat. That's about it. Rip legend, you'll be forever missed and remembered, and not only for your incredible basketball career.

Bill Russel: THE GOAT. Rest in peace. You earned it.

Write more, Bill. Please write more.

I just found out he passed watching this video Damn. That final game 7 "They can't beat us" He was worried about C-19 and taking the snake bite gave him a heart attack.

Thank you Bill Simmons and crew. RIP Bill Russell 🐐

Phenomenal piece! The racial trauma those first generation of black stars endured is really not talked about enough. True trailblazers and icons

damn. He really might be the most disrespected basketball legend ever.

Bill this was absolutely incredible.

Dam Bill you really wield that pen sometimes. Great video and great story telling.

not the biggest simmons guy. but this was beautiful.

Thank you for putting this together Bill. Incredible piece about an incredible human. RIP

Of course Bill Simmons had to find a way to call Kobe a ballhog while praising Bill Russell 😂 just couldn't help himself

Loved it, another beautiful story.

Beautiful video Bill. Thanks for making this.

Incredible video. Thank you for the great basketball content

This is unbelievable, one of the best videos ever.

Thank you so much for sharing this!! As always an excellent job and very well done!!

I’m not gonna lie.. watching this tearing up. I read his biography. Really sad. I really admired him

Tremendous work. Thank you Bill

Amazing video bill. great commentary

Excellent remembrance. Thanks Bill Simmons for sharing that.

Great Video and interview. Thanks. Cousy Crying broke me up

Simmons was surprised it was Kobe Bryant who "devoured Russel's book, etc.?" I had NEVER heard the story before, but once I saw Bryant was in the team photo, I was pretty certain it was going to be Kobe who did it.

That was an amazing tribute Bill Simmons to an incredible human being. Thank you for doing it.

You nailed this Bill Simmons. Really great eulogy for Mr. Russell

What a fucking giant of a man. I cried like a baby.

I didn't fully understand or feel our tremendous loss until this video 😢. Well done!

This was great Bill Simmons. Thank you.

Great video! Keep it up!

Good god, these videos are the best content bill or the ringer does. Wish bill would do more of them.

Thanks for this Bill; feeling Inspired by both Bill Russell the person, and by the quality of the story telling here. Incredible.

Brilliant. Thanks!

That was great, Bill. What I would give to be a fly on the wall listening to Mr Russel and Kobe talking ball. Jeez.

U GAVE ME CHILLS AT THE END

Damn Bill, this really tugs the heart with the basketball history and commemoration to Russell. What an amazing man and player.

Props given!! I truly hope generations to come never forgot how much Bill Russell meant to Basketball and the world. Rest Easy Legend! 🙏

Thank you for this

Amazing video.

Amazing interview and narrative.

Excellent job, Bill you were always ahead of the curve when it came to giving Russell his flowers when he was alive. This is coming from the perspective of a 50 year old person who roots for Philadelphia 76ers. So that's saying something!! Great job👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Amazing! Great Documentary... Great Man!

such a beautiful piece bill.

Great job Bill. Very good video

Brilliant video. RIP BIll Russell.

That was a fantastic send off for an American icon. Thank you

This is so powerful Bill!

I'm so glad I clicked on this video, RIP to the great Bill Russel

Well written, well said.

This is golden

GOAT

Bill you are brilliant

Thank you Bill. And thank you Bill.

This is so beautiful.

This was beautiful Bill

Damn! Made me tear up Bill!

Absolutely beautiful Bill.

Thanks Bill!

As a millennial I learned a lot in this 20minutws

This is great

Fantastic

People don't realize he was a world class athlete, amazing defender and very good passer, as competitive as they get

That was beautiful.

Sir William Felton Russell - King Of Basketball & Greatest Of All-Time, is smiling down at his Celtic Fiefdom from the skies and saying "My Green Knights have done it again for the Celtic World Kingdom!".

everything about this, is incredible....but how did petit score 50 on 12-15 from the field?! dude just taking a million free throws?! Jesus

3:56 That 50pt game technically stopped a 10Peat

Amazing

Thanks Bill, for remembering Mr Bill Russell, truly one of the greatest of all time. And props to Larry Bird for recognising the 11 rings Mr Russell helped lead the Celtics to! ( 1:47 ). For all Bill Russell did and ment to Boston and the NBA, I feel we still do not appreciate that he had to stop Wilt Chamberlain to win those titles.

THANK YOU BILL RUSSELL FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!! #6!!!! HE is not a man.... HE IS THE MAN.!!!!!!!!! From The Philippines.

😩❤️ so goooood

Juluis Erving, Robinson, Stockton, Dirk, & Duncan also nailed their exits very well. Tbf Mikan did what Jordan did almost 5 decades before. He retired in 1954 for one year. Then came back for one season in 1955 to 1956.

Alrite alrite this is incredible

This made me cry baby

If Jordan doesn't come back and play for the Wizards, his exit rivals Russell. Them an Elway would probably have the 3 greatest sports exists in history.

He's the GOAT in every aspect imaginable.

5 time MVP

Expansive and insightful assessment of BR. Willfully short-sighted and petty at times with KB

Rest in peace Legend