“You Are Divisive & A Coward”: NBA Legend Bill Russell Responds to Donald Trump’s Recent Tweet

Bill Russell is extremely respected in the basketball world. For fans, he is the one who changed the game of defense completely. The Celtics legend stepped into the world of NBA and revolutionized the playing methods of the game. Besides his interest in basketball, Russell was a game-changer in his era due to his involvement in social issues and casting an active voice against racism. 

Bill Russell is known as the man who won eleven titles in his 13-year career. He is depicted to be the pathway for African-American players to enter into the NBA. He often criticized Boston for being a racist city, even though he spent his entire playing career there.

Russell refused to attend his Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1975. When the Boston Celtics retired Russell’s #6 jersey in 1972, the star of the show didn’t attend the event. He refused to take part in the ceremony, which threw a huge shock on everyone’s faces.

Being such a rebellious personality, one can expect Russell to act with the same caliber, even now. The 86-year-old to this day carries the fight in him and wants to end racism for good. When the NFL players took a stand against racism by kneeling to the national anthem, they garnered the support of the legend.

Bill Russell posted a photo of him kneeling with the presidential medal of freedom hanging around his neck. His solidarity with the football players spread widely and earned Russell massive respect from every community. 

Bill Russell calls Donald Trump a coward

For a man who has been a rebel all his life, calling out injustice or mockery is no tough task. Russell doesn’t care if you are the President of the country or just a common man. If you’re spreading hatred into the society, it will be called out by the five-time MVP.

President Donald Trump posted a tweet that condemned the act of kneeling against the American flag. Trump suggested alternatives to conduct a protest but strictly wrote: “NO KNEELING,” on his account. Consequently, this invited Bill Russell to give his take on the issue. The Celtics legend bashed Trump by giving him an explicit reply on his Twitter account. This is what he wrote:

“#Trump you projected your narrative that #TakingAKnee is disrespectful & #UnAmerican it was never about that! You are divisive & a coward. It takes true courage 2 stand 4 what is right & risk your life in the midst of a #pandemic #Proud2kneel #BlackLivesMatter”

Apart from educating the president on what is really taking a knee, Bill Russell went the extra mile by specifically adding an old photo of him kneeling, with the prestigious medal around his neck. Most importantly, the NBA legend also asserted the importance of protests in his post. Bill Russell lauded the people who are marching down the street amid the COVID-19 scare.