Bill Russell was a 6'9" center whose actual position could have been listed as "winner." Offered is a circa 1955 Boston Celtics wooden locker room bench that has been signed and inscribed by the Celtics Hall of Fame immortal. Russell, born in Louisiana, grew up in Oakland, California, and played for the San Francisco University Dons, leading the team to two NCAA Championships. He was drafted in the 1956 NBA Draft, second overall, by the St. Louis Hawks, who traded him to the Boston Celtics, a crafty move engineered by Celtics coach Red Auerbach. Before playing in the NBA, Russell helped the United States Men's Basketball Team to the Gold Medal in the Winter Olympics, and then joined the Boston Celtics in midseason, using his incredible defense and rebounding skills to take the Celtics to the NBA Championship. Overall, Russell took the Celtics to 11 Championships in 13 seasons, winning his final two Championships as Boston's player/coach, the first African American modern major professional sports coach in the history of the United States. Russell was a 5-time NBA MVP, he averaged 15.1 PPG, and a fantastic 22.5 rebounds a game. His tremendous shot-blocking, not an NBA statistic when he played, intimidated his opponents and altered their shots.

The offered locker room bench measures 10.7x30" at the top, with four legs, a height of 19.75" and a weight of 13.5 lbs. The bench exhibits great use, with chips, scratches, small stains, and paint transfers. Using a black marker, Russell, in big and bold neat script, signed the bench as "Bill Russell" and added the inscription "11xChamp," indicating his 11 NBA Championships. Russell also inscribed "#6" for his uniform number. The middle board of the bench top may have been a replacement, as it has a lighter shade than the other two boards. Russell passed away in 2022. Although Russell would talk to fans, especially youngsters, he was famously reluctant to sign many autographs. Thus, a Bill Russell autographed and inscribed locker room bench makes a fine remembrance from one of basketball's all-time winners.