


He was outspoken about the region’s racism - especially after his first-hand experience with vandals in his North Shore home - and was never particularly moved by the crowd’s cheers. His 11 NBA titles, all won as a Celtics player and player-coach, are the most of any athlete in the history of American team sports, and yet his relationship with Boston was tortured.

Bill Russell, and especially his meaning and relationship with Boston, has never been an easy or comfortable one to summarize.
