The Finals MVP to Receive Bill Russell MVP Award

[theinswes]

wow! i just saw a clip of the news now! the finals mvp award will now be named after bill russell. truly amazing, and what an honor.

[Dasher]

They just showed it on TNT.

How sad that his wife knew about it but recently passed away and didn't get a chance to celebrate it with him.

That part did make me tear up.

They picked the right man for this award to be named after!

[Joe Tango from San Diego]

ELEVEN RINGS.... I highly doubt anyone will ever come close to matching that.... Think about it.. jordan, best player ever, got six rings...

Russell has another handful of rings more than mj.

I thought it was also cool for Mike Fratello to mention the last college team of all stars to win a world basketball championship from the US and mentioned Sean Elliott by name....

[spurscrazed]

That is just an amazing award.

Russel certainly is one of the best NBA champions ever.

Well deserved.

He also said he lost his wife recently and couldn't share with her that's sad really, but she also knew few months ahead as Stern had called her and told her but she never told Bill just to keep it as a secret. WOW.

[Dasher]

Originally Posted by Joe Tango from San Diego

ELEVEN RINGS.... I highly doubt anyone will ever come close to matching that.... Think about it.. jordan, best player ever, got six rings...

Russell has another handful of rings more than mj.

I thought it was also cool for Mike Fratello to mention the last college team of all stars to win a world basketball championship from the US and mentioned Sean Elliott by name....

That was pretty cool.

[Dasher]

The Finals MVP to Receive Bill Russell MVP Award

By NBA Official Release
Posted Feb 14 2009 7:42PM



PHOENIX -- Bill Russell, the cornerstone of a Boston Celtics team that won 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons, including a record eight straight titles, will be permanently honored by having The Finals Most Valuable Player Trophy named for him, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced today.

"Who better to name this prestigious award for than one of the greatest players of all time and the ultimate champion," said Stern. "Bill inspired a generation not just of basketball fans but Americans everywhere. He is respected by colleagues, coaches, fans, and his legacy clearly has withstood the test of time."

The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award will be presented at the conclusion of The Finals. Select writers and broadcasters who cover the series will determine the MVP.

Russell anchored a Celtics team that became synonymous with NBA championships during the 1960s. As a rookie center, he helped the Celtics earn their first NBA title in 1957, defeating the St. Louis Hawks in seven games. It was the first of 10 straight Finals appearances for Boston, including eight straight titles from 1959-1966. Following the 1966 championship season, Head Coach Red Auerbach retired and Russell took over as player-coach, becoming the NBA's first African-American coach. After failing in 1967 to make The Finals for the first time since 1956, Russell guided the Celtics to consecutive titles in 1968 and 1969. Russell would win 11 NBA Championships throughout his career as a player and coach.

The 1969 Finals between the Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers was the first time a Most Valuable Player trophy was awarded, with the Lakers' Jerry West the first recipient -- the first and only time the MVP Award has gone to a member of the losing team.

Russell earned five Most Valuable Player Awards during his career. He was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 and was named the "Greatest Player in the History of the NBA" by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America in 1980. In 1996, Russell was honored as "One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History" during the All-Star Game in Cleveland.

NBA.com: The Finals MVP to Receive Bill Russell MVP Award

[JTD]

More proof on how can MJ be the greatest athelete of the century, when he wasn't even the best player in his sport! (and I like Mike)

I thought for a second they were going to name it the Lebron James award!!

[bossu]

So, are David Robinson, Bill Russell and Larry O'Brien the only people with their names attached to NBA awards/trophies?

[theinswes]

Originally Posted by JTD

More proof on how can MJ be the greatest athelete of the century, when he wasn't even the best player in his sport! (and I like Mike)

I thought for a second they were going to name it the Lebron James award!!

jordan was undoubtedly the BEST player ever. russell's era really was with fewer teams and he anchored some deep teams, but russell himself is an icon in a different way way. the number of rings he won is amazing, but also being the first black coach (and winning a ring no less), and work in establishing the celtics dynasty.

jordan i think you can't argue was the best in terms of everything he did on the court. one of the best defensive players and one of the best scorers, the clutchness, the desire to win. he also impacted the game from a marketing/media standpoint that helped expand the league to more prosperity. i'd still take MJ as the greatest of all time, and it wouldn't surprise me if many years later they do name soemthing after mj.

[highplainsspur]

Russell was good. Jordan was good. But I think it should be called the Tim Duncan MVP Award.

[BoerneAg54]

So this is what they are gonna be giving Timmy come June, eh?

All joking aside, that's an awesome honor for Bill Russell, the guys deserves to have his name immortalized in the NBA and this is a very appropriate way to do it.