via Getty
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 09: Martina Navratilova in the royal box during the Women’s Single Final at The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club at Wimbledon on July 9, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images)
via Getty
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 09: Martina Navratilova in the royal box during the Women’s Single Final at The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club at Wimbledon on July 9, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Simon Bruty/Anychance/Getty Images)
Bill Russell is undoubtedly a legend in the NBA. If anyone can hold a candle to the legacy of Russell when it comes to tennis, it will be the legendary Czech-American star Martina Navratilova. Recently, the legendary tennis player shared her views after the official Twitter handle of the Celtics revealed new jerseys as a tribute to Bill Russell.
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Russell is an 11-time NBA champion, including eight straight championships, a five-time MVP, an Olympic gold medalist and the first African-American NBA head coach.
Martina Navratilova pleased with Celtics’ gesture for the late legendary basketball player
Martina Navratilova retired from singles after winning 167 titles. The former tennis player relentlessly fought for her goals, both on and off the court, throughout her life. She was highly inspired by champions in sports other than tennis. The late legendary basketball player Bill Russell was one of them.
Bill Russell was part of a generation of sports activists who made everyone around them better on and off the field. This season, the Boston Celtics are honoring the life and legacy of the Hall of Famer, through a variety of celebrations, including tribute games, and dedicated uniforms.
Amazing!!!
11 championships in 13 years? That is ridiculous!!!!!
A true champion in every sense of the word, inside and out. Lucky us to have experienced this man’s greatness in our lifetime:)— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) October 17, 2022
The legendary tennis player, Martina Navratilova, shared her views on the Celtics’ new post regarding their tribute to Bill Russell. She tweeted, “Amazing!!! 11 championships in 13 years? That is ridiculous!!!!! A true champion in every sense of the word, inside and out. Lucky us to have experienced this man’s greatness in our lifetime:)”
READ MORE- Martina Navratilova Left Awestruck After Watching Gymnast Katelyn Ohashi’s Performance
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The gold overlay on the jersey symbolizes the Golden Age of basketball that the team continued during the Russell era. With Russell on patrol, the Celtics won 11 championships from 1959 to 1967, eight of them back-to-back. Eleven diamonds were cast on the side of the jersey, representing the number of championships won by the legend, which has been matched by any NBA player to date.
Navratilova had one of the greatest tennis careers of all time
Like Russell, Navratilova is considered one of the best, if not the best, tennis players of all time. In addition, her record as a tennis player is simply phenomenal. The Czech-American star has an almost unattainable 59 Grand Slam titles in all formats.
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Watch this story: When Martina Navratilova detailed the harrowing experience of living through breast cancer
Her unique serve-and-volley style helped her dominate grass-court based tournaments throughout her career. Unsurprisingly, she holds the most Wimbledon titles to date among both male and female players. In 2006, she retired from professional tennis after winning the US Open mixed doubles title at 50. As a result, she became the oldest player to win a Grand Slam title.
