Boston Celtics honor Bill Russell with new City Edition jerseys: All you need to know

The Boston Celtics have revealed their City Edition jerseys for the 2022-23 season, paying homage to the NBA and Boston Celtics legend – Bill Russell. Russell spent thirteen seasons in the league, all with the Celtics, and dominated his era. The Hall of Famer had an exceptional career, winning eleven championships and five MVP awards.

The Boston Celtics have decided to honor his life and achievements throughout the 2022-23 season, given his death on July 31st, 2022. Apart from the Celtics’ efforts; which include tribute games, a dedicated uniform and on-court honor, all NBA players will sport a No.6 patch on their jerseys.

The Celtics’ city edition jersey features a gold pattern to acknowledge Bill Russell’s impeccable career in the league. The team will debut the jersey in their season-opener against the Golden State Warriors, and will wear the jersey a total of 11 times. The frequency is in accordance with the number of NBA titles Russell accumulated during his time in the league.

The uniform design is a well-thought idea with a lot of features being highlighted. The Celtics' wordmark on the front of the jersey is written in a script encouraged by Slade’s Bar & Grill. Slade’s is a historic Boston establishment, which was owned by Bill Russell in 1960s.

Additionally, there are 11 gold diamond icons on the sides of the jersey – an ode to the number of titles he won. The belt buckle features the retired No.6 worn by Russell, and is also surrounded by 11 diamonds.

The Boston Celtics have a lot of events planned throughout the season to celebrate the life of Bill Russell. They have two tribute games scheduled – one being the season opener, and the other on Russell’s birthday (February 12), against the Memphis Grizzlies. The pre-game ceremony during the 76ers match-up will include performances by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc and Boston’s Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola.

The Celtics have also decided to raffle off authentic City Edition jerseys to fans, which will be autographed by the current roster members. The proceeds of these raffles will go to ’MENTOR,' a non-profit Russell was a founding board member of. The project aims to provide mentorship to all young individuals in need of direction.

Boston Celtics add No.6 to their home court

Bill Russell is a big part of the Celtics franchise’s history. He was a fierce scorer, and an even better rebounder – dominating the paint during his era. He was a four-time rebounding champion, with his highest in a season being 1,930 rebounds.

To honor Russell’s dominance in the paint, the Celtics decided to add the number 6 to the floor of both lanes. All other teams will display the number 6 decal on the sidelines near the scorer’s table.

The 2022-23 season could go down as one of the most important seasons in the franchise’s history. Their recent surge in performances, clubbed with missing out on the championship last season, will now drive them to win. What better way to honor Bill Russell’s legacy, than by winning the NBA title? It will be interesting to see how far the Celtics can go.