Jamy Bechler

Providing Insights on Leadership and Success. Coach Bechler is a John Maxwell Leadership Team Member.

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Aug 04 2022

The Greatest Champion

photo credit: Nonstop Sports (YouTube)

“Bill Russell was the greatest champion in all of team sports.” (Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner)

When the great baseball Hall of Famer and African American icon Jackie Robinson died in 1972, his widow called Boston Celtics player Bill Russell and asked him to be a pallbearer at her husband’s funeral.

Click here to listen to the 6-minute version of this article on the “Success is a Choice” podcast network.

When asked why, she responded that Russell had been Jackie Robinson’s favorite athlete.

All of the pallbearers were Jackie’s former teammates with the Brooklyn Dodgers, except for Bill Russell.

It’s likely that Bill Russell was Jackie Robinson’s favorite athlete – not because he was so athletic or talented – but because he was a champion, both on and off the playing court.

Many consider Bill Russell one of the greatest teammates of all time.

[Read more…]

Written by Jamy Bechler · Categorized: Leadership, Podcast Episodes, Sports, Teams & Organizations · Tagged: Adam Silver, Bill Russell, Boston Celtics, champion, Championships, Hard Work, Jackie Robinson, John Wooden, kareem abdul-jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Legacy, mental toughness, mentality, MLK, Most Valuable Player, Motivational Quotes, NBA, NCAA, Olympics, Racial Issues, rebounding, Red Auerbach, San Francisco, Social Justic, Teamwork, Tim Duncan, Win the Day, winning

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