While Bill is fondly remembered as a basketball GOAT (did we mention he won eight consecutive NBA championships?), it's important to remember that the man was also a prominent civil rights activist.

In the 1960s, Bill actually helped organize the first-ever basketball player boycott. The boycott itself was inspired by two of Bill's Boston Celtics teammates, Sam Jones and Tom Sander. In 1961, Sam and Tom were denied service at a Kentucky hotel cafe because they were Black, per NBC Sports.

Two years later, Bill was invited by Martin Luther King Jr. himself to join him onstage during King's historic "I Have a Dream" speech.

Bill humbly declined, but he did attend the March on Washington. Later on, Bill stood side by side with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brown, and several other Black athletes during the Cleveland Summit, one of the first instances in American history where Black athletes took a stand on a social issues off the court.

In other words, Bill's legacy stretches far beyond the league of NBA legends. He also dedicated his life to helping the African American community.

You can stream Bill Russell: Legend now on Netflix.