Russel Earned Five NBA MVP Awards During His 13 Year Long Stint With The Bostonian Basketball Team

11 time NBA Title winner and five time MVP reward recipient Bill Russel has passed away at the age of 88, a year after his second induction into the NBA Hall of Fame and his jersey number being retired.

The Celtics's number six captained the US Olympic basketball team during the 1956 games in Melbourne, Australia, where his team won gold.

Former US President, Barrack Obama, awarded Bill Russel the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 during his first term in office.

On Twitter, the former Commander in Chief posted: "Today we lost a giant.

As tall as Bill Russel stood, his legacy rises higher, both as a player and as a person".

The official Boston Celtics Twitter account tweeted: "To be the greatest champion in your sport, to revolutionize the way the game is played, and to be a societal leader all at once seems unthinkable.

But that is who Bill Russel was".

Fellow NBA legends Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan also payed tributes to Bill Russel.

With Magic issuing a statement reading: "I'm heartbroken to hear about the passing of the greatest winner the game of basketball has ever seen.

A legend, hall of famer, mentor, and my friend for over 30 years.

Bill Russel".

With Michael Jordan tweeting: "Legends are forever.

RIP Bill Russell, truly a titan of our game".