Relive the Moment: Bill Russell Motivates Celtics as Player-Coach to Defeat Lakers in 1969 NBA Finals

With purple and gold championship balloons waiting to be dropped from the ceiling of The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., Celtics’ player-coach Bill Russell motivated his Boston teammates prior to Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals against their biggest rival, the Lakers.

“The Lakers cannot beat us,” Russell said before the final game of his illustrious NBA career. “It’s not something that can happen.”

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