BOSTON — It’s fitting that on the night the Boston Celtics will honor the late Bill Russell, Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers will be standing on the opposing sideline.
Rivers cultivated a relationship with the Celtics legend during his nine seasons coaching in Boston from 2004-2013. Like many others around the NBA, Rivers revered Russell for all that he did on the court and off of it.
Spending nearly a decade with the Celtics left Rivers with memories of Russell, but maybe none more vivid than on the night the Celtics won the 2008 NBA title and seeing how much it meant to Russell, who set that championship standard for the organization.
“He meant a lot before I arrived here, just for what he stood for and what he went through. Being the first black coach,” Rivers said during his pregame press conference Thursday. “I still don’t think he gets enough credit. He did so many things, and I still don’t think we talk enough about his winning. And not just at the NBA level. Everywhere he went, he won.
“But then when I got here I got a chance to meet all of them, including Bill several times. The thing I remember the most is how emotional he was when we won it. And I actually thought that with all the X-players, you don’t see that very often. and it’s just the connection that they have to this franchise. But he was visibly emotional. That was cool.”
The Celtics who are wearing special “city edition” uniforms dedicated to Russell for the season opener against the 76ers along with putting Russell’s No. 6 on the famed parquet, will hold a pregame ceremony to honor the Celtics great. Russell died in July at the age of 88.
That should raise the emotions of both teams before the Celtics and 76ers tip off their seasons from TD Garden.
