The Boston Celtics's 2022-23 City Edition uniform will pay homage to Hall of Famer Bill Russell, who died earlier this year at the age of 88. The 12-time All-Star and five-time MVP left his legacy during the "Golden Era" of the Celtics, was a member of the first all-Black starting five and eventually became the league's first Black head coach.
The team had been working on this project with Russell himself before his death. Boston will wear the uniform 11 times this season, to represent the 11 NBA championships Russell earned through his 13-year career as a Celtic -- the most championships of any player in NBA history. He earned two of those as a player-coach, a feat nobody else has accomplished.
There are 11 gold diamonds going down the side of the uniform on black trim. Eleven smaller diamonds surround Russell's retired No. 6 on the belt buckle of the shorts. In August, the NBA retired No. 6 league-wide, although those who already planned on wearing it going into this season "will be grandfathered." Every NBA court will have a No. 6 on the floor throughout the season.
The Celtics wordmark on the front of the jersey uses a script that was inspired by the well known Boston establishment Slade's Bar & Grill on Tremont Street -- a restaurant that was famously owned by Russell in the 1960s.
Gold accents ready for Opening Night ☘️ pic.twitter.com/AbZ43q4FIf
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 17, 2022
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
Authentic 2022-23 City Edition jerseys autographed by current members of the roster will be raffled to raise money for MENTOR, a non-profit organization that "aims to drive equity and close the mentoring gap through quality mentoring relationships for young people." Russell was a founding board member of MENTOR in 1990.
The Celtics will debut the special uniform on Tuesday, when they tip off the 2022-23 NBA season against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. There will be a pregame ceremony with performances by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc and Boston's Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola. Another tribute night is set for Feb. 12, Russell's birthday, when the Celtics take on the Memphis Grizzlies.
