The Charlotte Hornets are honoring the late Bill Russell with a banner that will be unveiled ahead of the team's home game against the Boston Celtics on Saturday, the team announced.
The team will unveil a banner at Spectrum Center commemorating the No. 6 jersey of Russell, which was retired throughout the NBA following his passing in July.
“A civil rights pioneer and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer whose NBA career included a record 11 NBA Championships, five NBA MVP awards, 12 NBA All-Star appearances and 11 All-NBA Team selections, Russell is the first player to have his number retired across the NBA,” the team's press release stated.
“Players who wore No. 6 at the time of the NBA’s announcement in August 2022, such as Hornets forward Jalen McDaniels, are grandfathered, but no new player will be issued the number.”
It's one of many league-wide tributes to Russell this season, including a black No. 6 patch appearing on every NBA jersey and a clover-shaped logo with the No. 6 being located on the sideline of every NBA court.
Russell was the first Black head coach in NBA history; he became an unprecedented player-head coach for his final three seasons with the Celtics, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020. It is the nation's highest civilian honor, commemorating “his athletic feats and lifelong commitment to social justice.”
“Bill Russell was a pioneer — as a player, as a champion, as the NBA's first Black head coach and as an activist,” Hornets Chairman Michael Jordan said in a statement when Russell passed away. “He paved the way and set an example for every Black player who came into the league after him, including me. The world has lost a legend.”
It's a phenomenal show of respect from the Charlotte Hornets to celebrate the incredible legacy Bill Russell left behind.