NBA unveils No. 6 patch to honor Bill Russell across league
By JIMMY GOLEN
AP Sports Writer
CANTON, Mass. (AP) — Marcus Smart has been in Boston long enough to appreciate what Bill Russell meant to the Celtics, the city and the country. The Celtics guard said he hears Russell called a pioneer and trailblazer and he deserves the honors he is receiving. Russell died this summer at the age of 88. The NBA has announced it will retire his No. 6 across the league. Every team is also wearing a No. 6 patch on its jerseys this season. Russell won 11 NBA championships in 13 years. The last two were as a player-coach and the first Black head coach in any of the major U.S. team sports. The Celtics have other tributes planned this season that have yet to be announced.