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BILL RUSSELL: LEGEND releases globally on Netflix on February 8 and tells the remarkable life and legacy of an NBA superstar and civil rights icon. Made in collaboration with Russell’s estate, this two-part film from award-winning director Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI, Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power) features one of Bill’s final interviews before his passing in 2022 as well as interviews with Steph Curry, Chris Paul, “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more.
Off the court, Russell was a force in the fight for human rights — marching with Martin Luther King Jr., leading boycotts in the NBA over racist practices and speaking out against segregation — efforts which earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In the clip below (posted on Netflix’s Strong Black Lead IG and Twitter), Bill Russell shares why he chose not to go on-stage with Martin Luther King Jr. at 1963’s March on Washington.
Download: Online Clip | Social Clip | Broadcast Clip | Image
FILM DETAILS:
BILL RUSSELL: LEGEND
RELEASE DATE: FEBRUARY 8, 2023
DIRECTOR: Sam Pollard
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Larry Gordon, Ross Greenburg, Mike Richardson, Charles Rosenzweig
NARRATOR: Corey Stoll | BILL RUSSELL EXCERPTS READ BY: Jeffrey Wright
The definitive documentary about the life and legacy of NBA legend and civil rights icon Bill Russell from award-winning director Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI). The film features exclusive interviews with Bill before his passing in 2022 as well as access to his sprawling personal archives. From the humblest of beginnings, Russell went on to lead each and every one of his basketball teams to championships — two back-to-back NCAA titles, a Gold Medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games, and 11 championship titles in his thirteen-year career as a Boston Celtic (his last two as the first Black Head Coach in NBA history). Features interviews with family and friends as well as Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and more.
