When the Celtics open their season against the 76ers on Tuesday, it will kick off a year-long tribute to the late, great Bill Russell, who passed away back in July.
Shortly after his passing, the NBA announced that every team will wear a No. 6 jersey patch, every court will have a No. 6 with a shamrock on the floor and the No. 6 will be retired league-wide (aside from players who are grandfathered in for already wearing the number).
Boston, in particular, has a few other tributes for its most iconic player in franchise history, including a silhouette of the No. 6 in the paint on both ends of the court, symbolizing Russell’s dominance throughout his remarkable NBA career.
Be on the lookout for a special tribute to Bill Russell on the parquet this season ☘️ pic.twitter.com/Pt6IoZbekx
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 19, 2022
Ahead of the home opener, the Celtics revealed their latest celebration of the 11-time champion, unveiling a Russell-inspired ‘City Edition’ uniform, which Boston will wear on Opening Night against Philadelphia.
For more information on the details of the Celtics’ new Bill Russell ‘City Edition’ jerseys, The Sporting News has you covered below.
Details of Celtics’ Bill Russell-inspired ‘City Edition’ uniforms
On Monday, the Celtics unveiled their new ‘City Edition’ uniforms with a hype video.
Paying homage to a true champion and the Gold Standard of what it means to be a Celtic ☘ pic.twitter.com/ZUGRMWOfq8
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 17, 2022
In the Celtics’ official release on the new jerseys, they announced that Russell, himself, was involved in the creative process of bringing this uniform concept to life before he passed.
Gold accents ready for Opening Night ☘️ pic.twitter.com/AbZ43q4FIf
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 17, 2022
Like most alternate jerseys in the NBA today, there are plenty of hidden details that help make each uniform unique to the franchise. In this case, the Celtics packed these jerseys with little tributes to the Hall of Fame big man.
- The “Celtics” script on the front of the jersey is written in the same font as the historical Boston establishment, Slade’s Bar & Grill, which was famously owned by Russell in the 1960s. (If that isn’t jogging your memory, the restaurant is partially in the background of this iconic photo of Russell and Muhammad Ali.)
- The jersey features 11 gold diamond icons down both sides of the uniform to represent the number of NBA championships Russell won. The diamonds are overlayed on black trim, which features the famed Celtics parquet floor pattern.
- Russell’s retired No. 6 is on the belt buckle of the shorts, surrounded by 11 gold diamonds, once again an homage to Russell having won the most championships of any player in NBA history.
When will the Celtics wear their Bill Russell-inspired ‘City Edition’ uniforms?
The Celtics will wear these uniforms 11 times throughout the season, with the only announced dates being Opening Night (Oct. 18) against the 76ers and “Bill Russell Tribute Night” on Feb. 12 — Russell’s birthday — against the Grizzlies.