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I understand that many of you here are young, so you get a pass, but, not one single player mentioned above is in the same class as Bill Russell. And he did it in a much less watered down era than all of them.
* 11 titles in his 13 years, including 8 in a row. In the other two his team made the playoffs but lost in the finals one year and the Eastern finals in the other.
* His final two years as player/HC his team won it all both years, and the last win was on the road in LA in game 7 against the likes of Wilt, Elgin Baylor and Jerry West.
* Bill Russell was more dominant in his sport than Jimmy Brown was in his.
I would also add in 1 if in 1 only 2 years when Bill Russell DIDn't win a championship (against the St Louis Hawks, he had a foot injury and only played in 2 games of the Finals the Celts lost.
Only team Russell lost to in a series was the fabled 1967 6'er team.
Bill Russell is the greatest Team athlete I have seen in my 60+ years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Russell#1956.E2.80.9359