Finals MVP trophy renamed for Bill Russell

A story we passed over here during All-Star Weekend: Stern renames award for Russell

Commissioner David Stern sat down for his annual extended state-of-the league session with the media on Saturday, and opened it with a surprising and emotional announcement: The trophy that is awarded to the winner of the NBA Finals MVP will be named for Celtics legend Bill Russell, whose wife, Marilyn, passed away three weeks ago. Russell, his voice shaking and his eyes watering, said, “This is a bittersweet award. I just lost my special partner, but I wanted to thank my teammates, because we played a team game, quite well and this—I accept this for my team.”

A well deserved honour for Bill Russell and certainly appropriate given his contributions to the game and success with the Celtics.

One of my favorite players even though I never got to see him play apart from the videos I've seen (which is probably a bad way to judge his play). But I love how he's an defense-oriented big game that put the good of the team over everything else.

Amazing that he never won a Finals MVP AWARD

to Bill Russell

Amazing that he never won a Finals MVP AWARD

Not so amazing. The award wasnt created until 1969, Russell's last season. The Celtics did beat the Lakers in the Finals that year, but Jerry West won the MVP. No player from a losing team has won the award since.

Certainly a well-deserved honour. I just read something that said when Wilt Chamberlain became the first player to receive a $100,000 contract, Russell went to Red Auerbach and demanded a contract for $100,001 - brilliant.

Amazing that he never won a Finals MVP AWARD

Not so amazing. The award wasnt created until 1969, Russell's last season. The Celtics did beat the Lakers in the Finals that year, but Jerry West won the MVP. No player from a losing team has won the award since.

Certainly a well-deserved honour. I just read something that said when Wilt Chamberlain became the first player to receive a $100,000 contract, Russell went to Red Auerbach and demanded a contract for $100,001 - brilliant.

Man they had one of the best NBA rivalrys of all-time

Certainly a well-deserved honour. I just read something that said when Wilt Chamberlain became the first player to receive a $100,000 contract, Russell went to Red Auerbach and demanded a contract for $100,001 - brilliant.

I remember that too. From memory, he got it.