The Rush: Bill Russell’s legacy immortalized with No. 6 retired across the entire NBA
Bill Russell’s legacy will live forever as his No. 6 has been retired across the entire NBA, a first in league history. Preseason football might have started up in earnest, but Antonio Brown wants the spotlight on him with a strange Tweet detailing his biggest regret.
Video Transcript
BILL RUSSELL: I would kick your ass.
[CROWD CHEERS]
JARED QUAY: The NBA and MVPA have agreed to permanently retire Bill Russell's number 6 across the entire league, which is a first in league history. Players like LeBron James who currently wear number 6 can keep the number until they retire or voluntarily change it.
Commissioner Adam Silver explained the decision will make sure that Russell's transcendent career will always be recognized. It makes perfect sense to honor a guy who won 11 championships in 13 years, was the first Black head coach in NBA history, championed civil rights and accomplished so much in his life.
Russell's number 6 becomes the third number in American sports to be retired league-wide joining Wayne Gretzky's number 99 in the NHL and Jackie Robinson's 42 in MLB. Thanks to the league's decision, Russell's legacy will be recognized forever.
Live football is back, so no doubt football fans everywhere were rejoicing and giving their undivided attention to games that don't count.
- I've missed all this.
JARED QUAY: However, one guy decided he wants the spotlight back on himself. Antonio Brown.
- Not again!
JARED QUAY: The wide receiver tweeted out kind of a strange message, where he revealed his biggest regret. It wasn't arriving to the Raiders camp in a hot air balloon with frostbitten feet. No. It wasn't quitting on his team and running around shirtless in the Jets stadium. No. AB's biggest regret is not getting to see himself play live.
- Say what now?
JARED QUAY: And then AB compared his play to the Beatles or Jesus performing at Red Rocks.
- He's lost his [BLEEP] mind.
JARED QUAY: OK, it's a weird statement for sure. But there's another way to look at this. AB is implying here that he's hanging up the cleats and doesn't expect to play again. This is Brown's official unofficial retirement statement, and is delivered as only Antonio Brown can deliver it. Confusing and massively egotistical.
Too bad human cloning ain't a thing, because you know AB would have another AB. He'd be like, yo, you dating all three of me. Sometimes I wish they could clone football players just so I can have three of them my fantasy team.
