NBA legend, Bill Russell. The 11-time NBA champion as a player, coach with the Boston Celtics and one of the most important figures in NBA history, died at the age of 88, his family announced Sunday, with his wife Jeannine by his side. His family announced the sad news in a statement shared to Twitter, where they reflected on Russell's lasting legacy and his accomplishments both on and off the court.«Bill’s two state championships in high school offered a glimmer of the incomparable run of pure team accomplishment to come: twice an NCAA champion; captain of a gold-medal-winning US Olympic team; 11 times an NBA champion; and at the helm for two NBA championships as the first black head coach of any North American professional sports team,» the statement read.