Live Bar September 12, 2021 The 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame Awards ceremony was held today, Bill Russell was selected as a coach, and former US President Barack Obama recorded a video to congratulate him.
"The vast majority of people tied their shoes, chose to play basketball, and didn't make it to the NBA. The vast majority of NBA players have not been inducted into the Hall of Fame, and the vast majority of Hall of Famers have only been inducted once, but Bill Russell is not the vast majority.
Bill Russell has won all the honors you can think of on the basketball court, college championships, NBA championships, gold medals, and so on. And today, we want Bill Russell to be selected as a coach, as a mentor, as a pioneer.
When the Cardinals asked Bill Russell if he would like to accept the team's head coaching position, Russell was still the team's starter, but Russell eventually agreed. He joked, 'At least I can play for my favorite coach.' ’
Bill Russell probably knows better than anyone else how to win and how to lead a team. The same is true off the field, as I did when I presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, who attended Martin Luther King Jr. rally and was a supporter of Muhammad Ali.
He endured a lot of unfair treatment but never stopped speaking out for justice, and when Kentucky's coffee shops were reluctant to entertain black players, Russell went on strike with his teammates. It's an honor to be able to give Bill Russell a congratulatory message, to applaud the way he plays, for the way he coaches, for the way he leads us, for the way he lives.
Bill Russell was tall, but his accomplishments and his character were greater than his height. Congratulations, Mr. Russell, welcome back to the Hall of Fame. Obama said.
（Andy）