February 12 is a day that shaped the Boston Celtics’ future forever. On this day in 1934, the legend Bill Russell was born in West Monroe, Louisiana. And as we know it, the 11x NBA champ wasn’t just any player; he was the heart and soul of the Celtics. His defensive instincts were otherworldly, his rebounding unmatched, and his leadership irreplaceable. Even today, he stands second in NBA history in both total rebounds (21,620) and rebounds per game. A prime glass eater!

And if you ever need a reminder of just how dominant he was, remember this—only he and Wilt Chamberlain have ever grabbed over 50 rebounds in a single game. But as great as Russell was on the court, his legacy in Boston goes beyond stats. It’s about what it truly meant for him to wear that green and white jersey.

The Celtics legend’s daughter Karen Russell perfectly captured it in a recent video shared by the official X account of the franchise. She detailed how she’s in awe every time she looks up and sees her father’s name hanging among the championship banners. Those banners aren’t just team achievements—they’re a part of who Bill Russell was. And according to Karen, there was no doubt in his mind about what it meant to be a Celtic.

“He used to always say that his blood ran green because he was such a Celtic,” Karen shared. “I remember when I was writing his bio for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, they wanted to say Hall of Famer Bill Russell. But he was insistent that ‘captain’ was a more important title for him.” Bill Russell became the epitome of humbleness and dominance where athletes go over the top to get clicks.

Think about that for a second. For a man with 11 NBA championships, 5 MVPs, and countless other accolades, the title that meant the most to him wasn’t about personal glory. It was about leadership. About being there for his team. Karen explained her father’s philosophy in life was simple: surround yourself with people who push you to get better.

“So one of the ways he was able to be such a, you know, big winner was to bring out the best in other people. And I think he was successful. So he felt that it was an honor that he shared with them as a team as opposed to an individual honor,” she said.

Being a Celtic meant the world to Russ. But what puts him on a higher pedestal than other players who stepped on the NBA hardwood? Let’s have a closer look at it on the occasion of his birthday.

What made Bill Russell different from other breeds of NBA stars?

Russell never cared for individual praise. It was always about the team. An article by USA Sports once pointed out that while Russell may not have cared much for the city of Boston, he loved the Celtics. He loved his teammates. To name some of them: KC Jones, Sam Jones, Satch Sanders, Tom Heinsohn, Bob Cousy, Don Nelson, and John Havlicek.

It didn’t matter where they came from or what they looked like. What mattered was that they were all chasing the same goal together. That’s what made Bill Russell special. He understood basketball wasn’t about one man outshining the rest.

It was about a group of players coming together to create something bigger than themselves. And in that sense, Russell and the Celtics will always be the same. Their stories are forever intertwined. Their legacies remain inseparable.

However, on his birthday, it’s important to remember that it was not just his life on the court that defined him. And Karen didn’t forget to highlight this fact about her father. “The way my father lives on through us is by trying to continue his good works off the court… Using his power to climb and pull and to help others,” she said.

The interview is back from when we hadn’t lost the Celtics legend. But today is not the day to grieve about it. This day is to celebrate the arrival of a legend in this world who changed basketball forever.