Having won more championships (11) than anyone to ever play in the NBA, pretty much anything Bill Russell has touched has tremendous value.
But as great a player as he was, Russell the player has often been outshined by Russell the man.
Russell has agreed to auction off several of the accolades he has accumulated through the years, a list that includes championship rings, jerseys, and trophies.
Putting those things up for auction would garner a tremendous windfall for the 87-year-old. And when you think about the paltry salaries and lack of endorsement opportunities that players from Russell’s era had, no one would have an issue with Russell cashing in on those accomplishments today.
But instead of putting those funds in his pocket, he’s directing them towards his passion which for many years usually involved two things - mentorship and the Celtics.
The proceeds from the auction, set for later this year and handled by Hunt Auctions website, will go towards Russell’s MENTOR foundation as well as the Boston Celtics United for Social Justice initiative.
To have an opportunity to have a piece of Celtic lore from the personal collection of Russell, the king of all kings when it comes to being a Celtic, is truly priceless.
Some of the items that we know about that will be up for auction include his 1965 league MVP trophy, a Celtics warm-up jacket, his All-Star jersey from 1964, and three of his championship rings.
That’s sure to get the attention of the most avid Celtics fans with the kind of deep pockets you have to believe will be shelling out major dough in order to have a piece of Green Team history from Russell.
But what often gets overlooked in the Russell narrative, is the role he played in the social justice movement of the 1960s. And yes, there will be items available to be auctioned off from his early days as a social activist with the Celtics which will include materials from 1961 when he and his teammates boycotted a game in Lexington, Kentucky because they were refused service in a restaurant.
However, there are a couple of honors that Russell has no intention of auctioning off anytime soon. Specifically, the Presidential Medal of Freedom he received from former President Barack Obama in 2011, and a letter from the legendary baseball pioneer, Jackie Robinson.
CELTICS CLOSING IN ON A DEAL FOR HAYES?
Even before the regime change at the top for the Boston Celtics, there was a strong possibility that they would look to add some international talent to the mix.
And no, we’re not talking about Yam Madar (for a change).
Boston has a strong interest in former Wisconsin star Nigel Hayes, a 6-foot-8 forward who has played in Europe the last two seasons.
Undrafted out of college in 2013, Hayes’ has shown notable improvement as a floor-spacing big who possesses the kind of defensive versatility that the Celtics covet. While he stands 6-8, Hayes has an impressive 7-3 wingspan.
“Nigel is like a lot of guys in the states who come back,” an Eastern Conference scout told Boston Sports Journal. “He has some skills that might work at the next level, ut he has to be in the right situation at the right time. Where the Celtics are … he could at a minimum, give them some more length defensively which you can never really have enough of, to be honest.”
Last season, Hayes played for Zalgiris Kaunas, one of the top teams in Lithuania, averaging 9.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals while making 44.2 percent of his three-point attempts.
CELTICS BULLISH ON BULLOCK
Reggie Bullock is not considered one of the top-tier free agents this offseason. But a strong regular season has the 30-year-old on the radar of several teams, among them being the Boston Celtics.
The Knicks have significant salary-cap space and could re-sign him easily.
But it’s not clear how big a priority is it for New York to bring him back, especially after he struggled mightily during the playoffs.
In New York’s first-round series loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Bullock averaged just 8.8 points on 38.5 percent shooting from the field and 34.5 percent from 3-point range.
During the regular season, Bullock was one of just three players (Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving were the others) to shoot at least 44 percent from the field, 40 percent or better on 3’s and at least 90 percent from the free-throw line while taking at least 100 shot attempts and at least 50 free throws.
League executives believe the Celtics are focused on trying to re-sign Evan Fournier. But if he were to get an offer that “blows the doors off” of anything the Celtics are looking to offer, Bullock becomes a much more affordable backup plan to pursue.
No surprise, the Celtics aren’t the only team keeping an eye on Bullock.
New York has the best shot at re-signing him, but don’t sleep on the Los Angeles Lakers (he played for them during the 2018-2019 season).
TATUM, UDOKA BONDING
No one knew for sure how well Jayson Tatum and Ime Udoka would connect.
So far, so good.
It’s important that they connect on the floor when it comes to Xs and Os. But often it’s those light-hearted moments that truly define how well or woeful a coach-player relationship will be.
Tatum, a key member of Team USA, seems very relaxed when speaking about his relationship with Udoka, who is a Team USA assistant coach.
During a recent practice leading ip to the Games, Udoka was “defending” Tatum who was getting up some shots.
Apparently, Tatum got off quite a few over his coach who spent parts of seven seasons in the league and was known as an above-average wing defender.
“He was trying to guard me, but he didn’t have too much luck,” Tatum said with a grin.
While it may not seem like that big a deal, Tatum being this comfortable joking about Udoka can only be good for the relationship they have which has to be strong in order for the Celtics to reclaim a spot among the top-tier teams in the East.
STAFFING CHANGES CONTINU
Ime Udoka’s staff is slowly but surely coming into focus. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, D.J. MacLeay is leaving the Sixers organization to be a “player enhancement coach” for the Celtics. In Philly, MacLeay spent the last four and a half years as a member of the team’s developmental staff.