Bill Russell was the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics' dynasty of the 1960s, an uncanny shot blocker who revolutionized NBA defensive concepts. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 12-time All-Star, the angular center amassed 21,620 career rebounds, an average of 22.5 per game and led the league in rebounding four times. He had 51 boards in one game, 49 in two others, and a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. His many individual accolades were well deserved, but they were only products of Russell's philosophy of team play. His greatest accomplishment was bringing the storied Celtics 11 championships in his 13 seasons, a success rate the likes of which the league will certainly never see again. Until the ascent of Michael Jordan in the 1980s, Russell was acclaimed by many as the greatest player in the history of the NBA. He first made his name as the 6 foot 9 inch center for the University of San Francisco, where he helped the team to 56 consecutive victories in 1955 and 1956, adding NCAA Championships in both years. He would also be named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player in 1955. Before joining the Celtics in 1956, Russell used his last bit of amateur eligibility to guide the U.S. Men’s Basketball team to a gold medal in the Melbourne Games. He would follow that remarkable string of mid-1950s championship successes with yet another championship in 1957, this time the NBA crown, helping the Celtics to their first ever NBA Championship in a seven game nail biter of a series with the St. Louis Hawks (from whom the Celtics had acquired Russell in a pre-season deal.) In addition to the string of eight championships that Russell brought the city of Boston, he was equally as well known for his decade long rivalry with the league’s other early big man, Wilt Chamberlain. The debate as to who was the better player continues to this day, but Celtics player Don Nelson was easily able to set the two apart. "There are two types of superstars” said Nelson, “one makes himself look good at the expense of the other guys on the floor. But there's another type who makes the players around him look better than they are, and that's the type Russell was." Because of how important Russell continually proved himself to be to his team, he may well be regarded as the league’s all-time Most Valuable Player. On the inside back collar is the "Wilson" manufacturer’s size XL tag with wash instructions. Below is the player number “6” embroidered felt strip tag. Across the front is "CELTICS" in green on yellow tackle twill. Across the back is the player name "RUSSELL" in white tackle twill on a green nameplate, attached with seven metal snap fasteners. On each sleeve is the official "Celtics Shamrock" logo in green on yellow tackle twill. The jacket shows nice wear with team repairs and there appear to be no alterations of any kind. Accompanied by an additional LOA.