You don’t have to be from Boston to appreciate all Bill Russell has done for the game of basketball.
Grant Williams, for example, made sure to express his appreciation to the NBA legend during halftime at Sunday’s Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers matchup at Staples Center.
“I just wanted to thank him for everything he’s done for the game,” Williams said, via MassLive’s Tom Westerholm. “I said I was thankful, because he was so impactful. He was a dude who was one of the best players in the game, a historic Boston legend, and honestly it was just good to see him in person for the first time. You see all the celebrities in LA and all this stuff, but I was more focused on Bill Russell than anybody else. (Actor) Denzel (Washington) was there, all those other guys, but Bill was special.”
The Celtics rookie, who hails from North Carolina, made his visit with Russell short and sweet, simply shaking his hand and sharing a few words before heading back to the court to shoot around. That, and playing in front of Russell, made Sunday’s game particularly special for Williams.
“It was really cool, especially a game of that magnitude and intensity,” Williams said. “Lakers vs. Celtics, something that one of the biggest rivalries in sports and playing against LeBron (James), it was fun. It was a competitive environment. Hopefully he enjoyed it.”
While the Celtics lost, we’re pretty sure this is a day Williams is going to remember for the rest of his life.
