Bill Russell finally accepts Hall of Fame ring after 44 years

Bill Russell, five-time NBA MVP and 11-time NBA Champion /VCG Photo

Eighty-five-year-old Bill Russell finally accepted his Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame ring at a private ceremony in his home on Friday, tweeted the five-time NBA MVP, 11-time NBA Champion.

"In a private ceremony w/my wife & close friends A.Mourning @AnnMeyers @billwalton & others I accepted my #HOF ring. In '75 I refused to be the 1st black player to go into the @Hoophall I felt others before me should have that honor. Good to see progress; ChuckCooperHOF19 @NBA" wrote Russell on Twitter.

Chuck Cooper (L), first black player in NBA history and Bill Russell (R), one of the greatest players in NBA history /VCG Photo

As one of the greatest players in the league's history, Russell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1975 but he rejected to attend the ceremony and to receive the ring. "For my own personal reasons, which I don't want to discuss, I don't want to be a part of it. (I'm) not going. They know that. I've felt this way for many years," said Russell to the New York Times in 1975.

On Friday, the immortal finally revealed his reason: Chuck Cooper, the first black player in NBA history. In 1975, Cooper was not a Hall of Famer yet and Russell did not want to receive the honor before him. Now that Cooper was inducted into the 2019 Class, Russell agreed to accept his ring.

Russell's name may sound strange to today's basketball fans but there is one thing could that speaks of his greatness. The full name of the NBA Finals MVP is "Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award." It's named after this legend, after he played 13 seasons in the NBA, led the Boston Celtic to the NBA Finals 12 times, and won 11 championships (including eight straight ones).

Bill Russell (R1) says "I will kick your ass." to five Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (L1), Alonzo Mourning (L2), Shaquille O'Neal (L3), David Robinson (R3) and Dikembe Mutombo (R2) at the NBA Awarding Ceremony in New York, June 26, 2017. /VCG Photo

If anyone can be mentioned in the same breath with Michael Jordan, it must be Bill Russell. That explained why when he received the NBA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, he could point at five Hall of Famers – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dikembe Mutombo, David Robinson, Alonzo Mourning, and Shaquille O'Neal – and said: "I will kick your ass."

The Hall of Fame Ring is no more than a little brilliance to his splendor. However, Russell waited 44 years and stood his ground. Such firmness deserves the same respect as his achievements on the court.