Tears! Russell Hall of Fame speech mentioned Bryant: Our friendship transcends the Lakers' feud with the Green Army

Famous bill Russell has once again been inducted into the 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach, which is a great honor. It is worth noting that Russell specifically mentioned Bryant in his speech.

Russell said his friendship with Bryant has long since replaced decades-long rivalry between the Boston Celtics and los Angeles Lakers.

For health and safety reasons, Russell could not come to Springfield to attend the Hall of Fame ceremony. Nevertheless, he made his inductance speech by video, paying tribute to Kobe, Auerbach, David Stern and others.

"Bill Russell thanked Red Auerbach, David Stern, Kobe Bryant and his wife Jenny, who became the fifth player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach," NBA officially wrote. ”

Russell and Bryant played far apart in their respective eras, with the former establishing the league's first dynasty, while the latter won five championships decades later. Although the age difference is huge, Russell and Kobe Bryant's friendship is very deep.

Historically, the Lakers have lost to Russell's Celtics many times, but that doesn't affect Russell's fondness for Kobe.

As two of the league's greatest championship teams, Russell and Bryant have both had brilliant careers.

Russell played in the NBA from 1956 to 1969, and from 1966 to 1969, he also coached the Celtics and won championships in 1968 and 1969. In addition to basketball, Russell has made a significant contribution to the achievement of social justice.

Although he has played against the Lakers many times, fans and teams have great respect for him. After Kobe's death, Russell repeatedly missed Kobe in the Lakers jersey.