Celtics honor Bill Russell by painting his No. 6 in both free throw lanes at TD Garden
BOSTON -- Bill Russell dominated the paint with his game-changing defense throughout his Hall of Fame career with the Celtics. Now his No. 6 owns the paint at TD Garden.
The Celtics have painted Russell's No. 6 in both free throw lanes on TD Garden's parquet floor, part of the organization's season-long tribute to the legendary player and coach. Russell passed away at the age of 88 on July 31.
"The team has added the number 6 to both lanes to pay homage to Bill Russell's dominant play in the paint," the Celtics announced on Monday.
This marks the first time that numerical text will be displayed within that area on an NBA court.
This is just part of the organization's plans to honor Russell, who won 11 NBA titles in his 13 seasons with the Celtics. The team will have something on their uniforms every night in honor of Russell, and will also wear Russell-themed jerseys on a number of occasions. There will also be two Bill Russell nights: Oct. 18 for Boston's season opener and on Feb. 12, which would have been Russell's 89th birthday.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced at Russell's funeral service that every team in the league would retire his No. 6. Every court in the NBA will also display Russell's No. 6 on the sideline near the scorer's table throughout the season.
