Re: Around the League News - 2022 Offseason Edition
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 12:09 pm
A place for fans of the Phoenix Suns
https://www.phx-suns.net/
To use some NBA phrasing - "One and done."Aztec Sunsfan wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 2:48 pmBill Russell’s number will be retired league wide:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34 ... last-month
Wow, hopefully they keep it limited to All Time greats like him, not following it with Kobe, MJ or Lebron’s numbers.
That’s precisely my point.The Bobster wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:41 pmTo use some NBA phrasing - "One and done."Aztec Sunsfan wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 2:48 pmBill Russell’s number will be retired league wide:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34 ... last-month
Wow, hopefully they keep it limited to All Time greats like him, not following it with Kobe, MJ or Lebron’s numbers.
Russell had a unique qualification for this - unequaled as a champion, but also extremely significant in participation to fight for civil rights.
Kareem might be the closest when it comes to his resume on and off the court.
Bill Russell is to basketball what Jackie Robinson was to baseball.The Bobster wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:41 pmTo use some NBA phrasing - "One and done."Aztec Sunsfan wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 2:48 pmBill Russell’s number will be retired league wide:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34 ... last-month
Wow, hopefully they keep it limited to All Time greats like him, not following it with Kobe, MJ or Lebron’s numbers.
Russell had a unique qualification for this - unequaled as a champion, but also extremely significant in participation to fight for civil rights.
Kareem might be the closest when it comes to his resume on and off the court.
Well, yes and no. Most basketball players had already played against blacks in college and the percentage of Southerners in baseball was much higher than in basketball at the time. Plus Maurice Stokes and Wilt Chamberlain came in around the same time so he was never as isolated as Robinson. He did put up with a lot of racism in Boston and he seemed to harbor a lot of resentment towards the city for a long time. And, like Robinson, he played for an organization that was at the forefront of integration (they also had Sam Jones, K.C. Jones and Satch Sanders) for its sport and he was very active in the civil rights movement.Superbone wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 11:08 pmBill Russell is to basketball what Jackie Robinson was to baseball.The Bobster wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 5:41 pmTo use some NBA phrasing - "One and done."Aztec Sunsfan wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 2:48 pmBill Russell’s number will be retired league wide:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34 ... last-month
Wow, hopefully they keep it limited to All Time greats like him, not following it with Kobe, MJ or Lebron’s numbers.
Russell had a unique qualification for this - unequaled as a champion, but also extremely significant in participation to fight for civil rights.
Kareem might be the closest when it comes to his resume on and off the court.
I actually don't like this idea. I greatly admire Russell and think he's one of the top few to ever play the game, arguably as good or greater than even mighty MJ given his 11 rings and complete dominance of the league in his era, along with his amazing personal life and contributions to the advancements in civil rights and so on. But jersey retirement is about a team-player relationship where they don't want to see a new guy in the same jersey as their greatest stars. I don't care if somebody on the Suns or Jazz or Nets wears #23, but the Bulls don't want somebody with the exact same jersey MJ wore. Russell didn't play for these 29 other NBA teams; many of them didn't even exist when he played. I don't see how it honors him to ban the number 6 from ever being worn.Aztec Sunsfan wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 2:48 pmBill Russell’s number will be retired league wide:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34 ... last-month
Wow, hopefully they keep it limited to All Time greats like him, not following it with Kobe, MJ or Lebron’s numbers.
Good point, but let me use your words to explain it. The League sees Russell and his contributions as a League-Player relationship so big and strong, that they are "imposing" (The note itself said that even the NBA Players Association was on board) a ban on wearing N°6 to future players, because they don't want to see another League Star using the same number than Bill. It would go beyond fanbases, because this time is the entire system (Players, Owners and Front offices, League officials, etc) the one calling themselves Bill Russell's admirers (fans) to that degree.Mori Chu wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:56 pmI actually don't like this idea. I greatly admire Russell and think he's one of the top few to ever play the game, arguably as good or greater than even mighty MJ given his 11 rings and complete dominance of the league in his era, along with his amazing personal life and contributions to the advancements in civil rights and so on. But jersey retirement is about a team-player relationship where they don't want to see a new guy in the same jersey as their greatest stars. I don't care if somebody on the Suns or Jazz or Nets wears #23, but the Bulls don't want somebody with the exact same jersey MJ wore. Russell didn't play for these 29 other NBA teams; many of them didn't even exist when he played. I don't see how it honors him to ban the number 6 from ever being worn.Aztec Sunsfan wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 2:48 pmBill Russell’s number will be retired league wide:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34 ... last-month
Wow, hopefully they keep it limited to All Time greats like him, not following it with Kobe, MJ or Lebron’s numbers.
Jackie Robinson got this treatment in baseball and it's well deserved.Mori Chu wrote: ↑Mon Aug 15, 2022 3:56 pmI actually don't like this idea. I greatly admire Russell and think he's one of the top few to ever play the game, arguably as good or greater than even mighty MJ given his 11 rings and complete dominance of the league in his era, along with his amazing personal life and contributions to the advancements in civil rights and so on. But jersey retirement is about a team-player relationship where they don't want to see a new guy in the same jersey as their greatest stars. I don't care if somebody on the Suns or Jazz or Nets wears #23, but the Bulls don't want somebody with the exact same jersey MJ wore. Russell didn't play for these 29 other NBA teams; many of them didn't even exist when he played. I don't see how it honors him to ban the number 6 from ever being worn.Aztec Sunsfan wrote: ↑Thu Aug 11, 2022 2:48 pmBill Russell’s number will be retired league wide:
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34 ... last-month
Wow, hopefully they keep it limited to All Time greats like him, not following it with Kobe, MJ or Lebron’s numbers.