When Bill Russell passed away, it was felt not just in the NBA but if you were a black American.
In 2023, It is hard for someone to realize precisely how hard it was for black athletes in the 50s and early 60s. We see racism and prejudice every day, but the fact that so many black athletes lived in fear for their lives and couldn’t even, in some cases, stay in the same hotel or eat with their teammates shows you that racism was on a whole other level.
Most athletes today can concentrate on playing, but that wasn’t possible back then. Bill Russell epitomizes what it means to be excellent on the court while fighting injustices off it.
Bill Russell: Legend digs deep into what Russell was going through during those days and will open your eyes to his struggles.
We all know about the 11 NBA championships, but do you know about his relationship with Martin Luther King Jr? How was there a legit fear that Russell, because of the activist he was, could be assassinated? Did you know how big of a threat the government thought he was?
This documentary, especially if you are a young person, will open your eyes to not just Russell, the player, but Russell, the man, and how he has never lost sight that he is a black man in America.
BILL RUSSELL: LEGEND will be released globally on Netflix on February 8 and tells the remarkable life and legacy of an NBA superstar and civil rights icon. Made in collaboration with Russell’s estate, this two-part film from award-winning director Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI, Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power) features one of Bill’s final interviews before his passing in 2022 as well as interviews with Steph Curry, Chris Paul, “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryHHifvsVwQ