Bill Russell can be inspiring to athletes. Winning 11 NBA championships can give you that kind of credibility.
The Celtics legend lent his expertise to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, speaking to the football team for about an hour during training camp.
Head coach Jim Mora told The Olympian that Russell — who has coached the Seattle SuperSonics — embodies important lessons about team-building, which he imparted to the players.
"If you read his book and you read about his philosophy of team, it just matches what we want to do," Mora told the Olympian. "He's selfless. He's all about the team. He sacrificed his ego for the team ego. And I wanted our players to hear those messages from a guy who's a legend."
Russell, 75, is the only player to win a NBA championship, NCAA title and Olympics gold medal in one calendar year. The five-time NBA MVP and 12-time All-Star led the Celtics to 11 titles in 13 years.
Mora certainly hopes that whatever Russell said will work for his team: Last year, the Seahawks finished a paltry 4-12.
