NBA NEWS - Bill Russell 2-B Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

Bill Russell to be honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at first-ever NBA Awards - (Library of Congress - New York World-Telegram and the Sun Newspaper - photo)

Among his numerous athletic achievements, Russell was the first player to win an Olympic Gold Medal, an NBA Championship and a college title. While playing at the University of San Francisco, he led his team to back-to-back championships (1955 and 1956). A civil rights pioneer, Russell became the first African American to coach a major professional sports team (1966) and win a championship when he guided the Celtics to back-to-back titles (1968 and 1969) - THIS DAY IN THE NBA

NEW YORK, NEW YORK USA.

Monday, June 26, 2017

The NBA and Turner announced Bill Russell – a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and 11-time NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics – will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the first-ever NBA Awards on TNT, airing Monday, June 26, with coverage beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

Among his numerous athletic achievements, Russell was the first player to win an Olympic Gold Medal, an NBA Championship and a college title. While playing at the University of San Francisco, he led his team to back-to-back championships (1955 and 1956). A civil rights pioneer, Russell became the first African American to coach a major professional sports team (1966) and win a championship when he guided the Celtics to back-to-back titles (1968 and 1969).

One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, Russell won five NBA MVP Awards, earned 12 NBA All-Star selections and left an indelible mark as a superb shotblocker who revolutionized NBA defensive concepts. The annual NBA Finals MVP Award is named in honor of Russell, an NBA Champion in all but two of his seasons as a player with Boston.

The NBA Awards on TNT – hosted by Drake – will be held at Basketball City at Pier 36 in New York City, as the NBA honors all of the league’s top performers on one night for the first time.

The 2017 NBA Awards on TNT will feature integrations with the Sports Emmy Award-winning Inside the NBA studio team of Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, along with the league’s biggest stars, a musical performance by Nicki Minaj, and celebrity presenters.

The NBA Awards on TNT, created by Turner Sports and the NBA, is produced by dick clark productions.

THIS DAY IN THE NBA

June 26, 1991 The Charlotte Hornets selected forward Larry Johnson of UNLV with the first pick in the 1991 NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden. Johnson went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 19.2 ppg and 11.0 rpg.

June 26, 1996 The Philadelphia 76ers selected Georgetown guard Allen Iverson with the first pick in the 1996 NBA Draft at the Continental Airlines Arena in New Jersey.

June 26, 2000 Twelve-year NBA veteran Hersey Hawkins and second-year WNBA pro Dawn Staley received the Citizenship Through Sports Award at the Gannett Building in Arlington, Va. The Citizenship Through Sports Award is given by the professional, college, school and Olympic communities to collectively recognize athletes for outstanding citizenship, sportsmanship, ethical conduct and community service. The award is an effort by the largest sports partnership, the Citizenship Through Sports Alliance, to salute athletes who have demonstrated the values of citizenship through sportsmanship and ethical play. The Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA) is an organization of 10 members representing the NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball, NFL, NHL, NCAA, NAIA, National Federation of State High School Associations, (NFHS), National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

June 26, 2002 Yao Ming was selected by the Houston Rockets with the draft's first pick, the first time a player who had played neither high school or college basketball in the United States was the top selection.