Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell is known as one of the greatest players of all time, and was particularly feared as a defender. During his 13 seasons with the Celtics, Russell was able to keep up with most players and block any shot attempts at the rim.
But when it comes to receiving a vaccine for COVID-19, the 86-year old is willing to let this particular shot past his defense.
“I just arrived to get my COVID shot, and this is one shot I won’t block. Let’s do this together. To learn more about vaccines, visit https://t.co/WrLXSIbtxe.” – 11-time NBA Champion @RealBillRussell pic.twitter.com/nQxB3UrL0w
— NBA (@NBA) February 4, 2021
In a video posted on the NBA social media accounts, Russell is shown receiving a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the league’s effort for more people to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. The 11-time champion was shown wearing a Celtics face mask while receiving his shot of the vaccine, with the video also showing highlights of his stories NBA career.
At one point, Russell says that “No Celtics were harmed during my shot,” while encouraging people to learn more about vaccines from the Center for Disease Control’s website.
Russell, who turns 87 on February 12, is the latest to receive the vaccine and record a PSA together with the NBA to urge the general public to also receive the shot when they have an opportunity to do so. Others who have received their COVID-19 vaccines and also filmed PSAs for the NBA include San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich and former Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Abdul-Jabbar was the first among them to publicly receive the shot, followed by Popovich. Even if no active NBA player has received the vaccine yet, the league has taken a step in encouraging others to receive the shot by using figures like Russell, Popovich, and Abdul-Jabbar to send a message about the importance of being vaccinated.
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