When Bill Russell died on July 31, 2022, the NBA lost one of the most important figures in its history.
Russell was basketball's ultimate winner, capturing 11 NBA championships over the course of his 13-season career as a player with the Celtics and two titles as Boston's head coach. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach and named a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.
But his impact went well beyond the court. He was a leading civil rights activist during his playing days and continued to support the fight against racial injustice throughout his life. He also became an important mentor for generations of NBA players.
Ahead of the 2022-23 season, the league shared details on how it will honor Russell's incredible legacy in multiple ways, including placing a special symbol on each team's court.
MORE: How Bill Russell revolutionized defense
How NBA teams will honor Bill Russell during 2022-23 season
In an Aug. 11 statement, the NBA announced that every court will feature a clover-shaped logo with Russell's No. 6. The logo will be placed along the sideline near the scorer's table.
Additionally, the NBA has permanently retired No. 6 across the league, making Russell the first player to earn that honor. Russell joined Jackie Robinson (No. 42) and Wayne Gretzky (No. 99) as the only players to have their jersey numbers retired throughout one of the major American professional sports leagues.
The life and legacy of 11-time NBA champion and civil rights pioneer Bill Russell will be honored by retiring his uniform number, 6, throughout the league. The iconic Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer will be the first player to have his number retired across the NBA. pic.twitter.com/OSVx02bQDl
— NBA (@NBA) August 11, 2022
"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."
NBA players who wore No. 6 last season
As part of its announcement, the NBA noted that teams will no longer be able to issue the No. 6 to their players, but any player who is currently wearing No. 6 will be able to keep it.
Here is the complete list of players who wore No. 6 during the 2021-22 season, per Basketball-Reference's uniform database:
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
- Moses Brown
- Shaq Buchanan
- Alex Caruso
- Zylan Cheatham
- Gabriel Deck
- Hamidou Diallo
- David Duke Jr.
- Bryn Forbes
- Melvin Frazier
- Quentin Grimes
- Montrezl Harrell
- LeBron James
- Keon Johnson
- Kenyon Martin Jr.
- Jalen McDaniels
- Jordan McLaughlin
- Kevin Pangos
- Kristaps Porzingis
- Javonte Smart
- Lance Stephenson
- Rajon Tucker
- Luca Vildoza
- Tyrone Wallace
- Lou Williams