Bill Russell's won a record 11 NBA titles, all with the Celtics. Outside of basketball, Russell marched with Martin Luther King Jr., stood up for Muhammad Ali and boycotted a game in Kentucky after Black teammates were refused service in a coffee shop.
President Barack Obama awards Bill Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. The president recognized Russell not just for his legendary basketball career, but for his work as an activist on and off the court.
However, the president was more impressed by Russell's life outside of his athletic accomplishments: marching with Martin Luther King Jr.; standing up for Muhammad Ali; and boycotting a game in Kentucky after his Black teammates were refused service in a coffee shop. The four men brought the news to Celtics Coach Red Auerbach, who rang the hotel management about the incident. Though the players were eventually given permission to eat at the hotel, they wanted nothing to do with the establishment and chose to fly home.the Basketball Network
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