Phoenix Suns guard Jason Kidd isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
Earlier this year, the basketball community lost an icon, Bill Russell, at 88-years-old.
The Hall of Famer and Boston Celtics legend impacted many people’s lives, including Kidd and former Suns guard Jamal Crawford.
Crawford, the day that news broke that Russell passed away, shared how their friendship had grown into Russell becoming a mentor:
“Our friendship has grown over the past few years. It went from a friendship to mentorship for me to be able to reach & ask him questions,” said Crawford.
On Friday afternoon following Dallas Mavericks practice, Kidd revealed that he had known Russell since he was ten years old.
“I think it’s incredible that we have an opportunity to honor Bill Russell. Unfortunately, we did lose a great man, but sometimes we should think about honoring people when they are still around, but it’s still the right thing to do, to retire No . 6,” said Kidd.
“I’ve known Bill since I was ten years old,” Kidd continued. “I’ve been very fortunate to have met him when I was a little kid in the Bay Area because of Jim Hadnot [Hadnot is Kidd’s God Father and a friend of Russell].
“He’s always going to be one of my favorite athletes, one of my favorite people to be around, because I was always scared of him.”
Kidd was a member of the Suns from 1996-2001.
Last year, Russell’s daughter Karen shared some insight on former NBA Commissioner David Stern renaming the Finals MVP trophy after her father.
“I think one of the things that David Stern did that was so wonderful was to rename the Finals MVP trophy to the Bill Russell trophy. It is very funny when we were in Phoenix at the All-Star game and they gave out the first one, we all posed with it not knowing that they were going to send my dad a copy,” said Russell.
She added, “Kind of the unfortunate thing was my stepmother passed away after that, but David Stern made sure that she knew that they were going to do this for my dad. He was a really thoughtful man, and together they created a ring for my dad, which summarized all of the championships. It is a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry.”
The NBA announced back in August that they would be honoring him across the league with all 30 teams. Every NBA jersey will feature a patch with the number six this season.
“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognized.”
“This is a momentous honor reserved for one of the greatest champions to ever play the game,” NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio said in a statement.
“Bill’s actions on and off the court throughout the course of his life helped shape generations of players for the better and for that, we are forever grateful. We are proud to continue the celebration of his life and legacy alongside the league.”
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