Bill Russell Died

[Moranis]

I hate to say it, but Lebron's response to Bill Russell's passing is one of the lamest responses out there, particularly coming from a supposed leader of the modern NBA.

Missed it. Can you fill me in?

It's here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgr4eLhFhWy/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=c1879a2d-b381-4782-bf6c-dc2f44846fe9

Short and standard.

Maybe I'm being picky, but nothing about Russell's accomplishments on or off the court which basically every other player and non-player posted about.

That’s a fan page for Lebron. James hasn’t posted anything about it on social media.

Let’s not let 30 seconds of fact checking get in the way of piling on a sports guy we don’t like.

Just you wait, now it is even worse since Lebron didn't say anything. 

[Goldstar88]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

[Moranis]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

And if you gave people a reason to go, they would go. 

[nickagneta]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

There is also a massive mall with stores, restaurants and entertainment in the exact area as the Pats HOF.  People in the southern and southwestern suburbs are drawn there on the regular by those things first and foremost. Hence the traffic that place gets. Such stuff to draw people doesn't exist near the Auerbach Center.

[Goldstar88]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

There is also a massive mall with stores, restaurants and entertainment in the exact area as the Pats HOF.  People in the southern and southwestern suburbs are drawn there on the regular by those things first and foremost. Hence the traffic that place gets. Such stuff to draw people doesn't exist near the Auerbach Center.

Sure, but there are also stores, restaurants, and entertainment close to the Auerbach Center. Plus, public transportation and a larger population of people in and around Boston. I would also imagine that there are more Celtics fans than Pats fans in general, as Basketball is popular worldwide and American football is not.

[Surferdad]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

There is also a massive mall with stores, restaurants and entertainment in the exact area as the Pats HOF.  People in the southern and southwestern suburbs are drawn there on the regular by those things first and foremost. Hence the traffic that place gets. Such stuff to draw people doesn't exist near the Auerbach Center.

Sure, but there are also stores, restaurants, and entertainment close to the Auerbach Center. Plus, public transportation and a larger population of people in and around Boston. I would also imagine that there are more Celtics fans than Pats fans in general, as Basketball is popular worldwide and American football is not.

Not to get off-track, but I'm not sure this is true. I've lived in the greater Boston area since 1976. There are not a lot of "Celtics fans", meaning people who know what is going on with the team, their season record etc., at any given time. Patriots and Red Sox are more popular, and even the Bruins seem more popular than the Celtics. TD Garden sellouts do not reflect the true popularity.

[Kernewek]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

There is also a massive mall with stores, restaurants and entertainment in the exact area as the Pats HOF.  People in the southern and southwestern suburbs are drawn there on the regular by those things first and foremost. Hence the traffic that place gets. Such stuff to draw people doesn't exist near the Auerbach Center.

Sure, but there are also stores, restaurants, and entertainment close to the Auerbach Center. Plus, public transportation and a larger population of people in and around Boston. I would also imagine that there are more Celtics fans than Pats fans in general, as Basketball is popular worldwide and American football is not.

Not sure how much Basketball's global popularity tracks with Celtics popularity though. Anecdotally, living 'abroad' I've seen more American football jerseys than I have Celtics jerseys. Hell I've seen more Lonzo Ball jerseys than Celtics jerseys (unless I count the four that I own).

Jersey sales by country seem harder to find than in years past, but this more or less tracks with what I would expect to see:
 https://twitter.com/NBAUK/status/1546837625654448128

[slamtheking]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

There is also a massive mall with stores, restaurants and entertainment in the exact area as the Pats HOF.  People in the southern and southwestern suburbs are drawn there on the regular by those things first and foremost. Hence the traffic that place gets. Such stuff to draw people doesn't exist near the Auerbach Center.

Sure, but there are also stores, restaurants, and entertainment close to the Auerbach Center. Plus, public transportation and a larger population of people in and around Boston. I would also imagine that there are more Celtics fans than Pats fans in general, as Basketball is popular worldwide and American football is not.

Patriots Place has:
- the stadium itself onsite as a draw both for football and concerts/events
- plenty of free parking (offseason)
- easy access from a number of major roads -- nearest highway to Auerbach center is Mass Pike which is a toll road.  thinking public transport is key to getting visitors is not going to work in NE.
- lots of restaurants and shops on site
Basically, Patriots Place is a well known destination for many things whereas the Auerbach Center is there for one thing.   Basketball may be more popular worldwide but how much of a draw is either site for international travelers or even travelers from outside New England?

Also, in NE right now, football is second only to baseball.  Pats are the biggest draw and conversation topic outside of the Sox.  Wasn't always this way ---> when I was a kid in the 70's, football was #4 in the region in terms of sports conversation and especially loyalty to the local team.  Sox have always been #1 with B's and C's in fight for the #2 slot depending on how they were doing that year but all 3 had a much higher local team loyalty than the Pats.  That all changed with Brady and I suspect the Pats will slide back down the popularity poll the further they get from the heyday of Brady.

[Goldstar88]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

There is also a massive mall with stores, restaurants and entertainment in the exact area as the Pats HOF.  People in the southern and southwestern suburbs are drawn there on the regular by those things first and foremost. Hence the traffic that place gets. Such stuff to draw people doesn't exist near the Auerbach Center.

Sure, but there are also stores, restaurants, and entertainment close to the Auerbach Center. Plus, public transportation and a larger population of people in and around Boston. I would also imagine that there are more Celtics fans than Pats fans in general, as Basketball is popular worldwide and American football is not.

Not to get off-track, but I'm not sure this is true. I've lived in the greater Boston area since 1976. There are not a lot of "Celtics fans", meaning people who know what is going on with the team, their season record etc., at any given time. Patriots and Red Sox are more popular, and even the Bruins seem more popular than the Celtics. TD Garden sellouts do not reflect the true popularity.

In the northeast, of course. But worldwide or even nationwide? I don’t think so. Pats are not well liked elsewhere due to success from the TB12 years or spygate, deflategate, etc.

[Roy H.]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

There is also a massive mall with stores, restaurants and entertainment in the exact area as the Pats HOF.  People in the southern and southwestern suburbs are drawn there on the regular by those things first and foremost. Hence the traffic that place gets. Such stuff to draw people doesn't exist near the Auerbach Center.

Sure, but there are also stores, restaurants, and entertainment close to the Auerbach Center. Plus, public transportation and a larger population of people in and around Boston. I would also imagine that there are more Celtics fans than Pats fans in general, as Basketball is popular worldwide and American football is not.

Not to get off-track, but I'm not sure this is true. I've lived in the greater Boston area since 1976. There are not a lot of "Celtics fans", meaning people who know what is going on with the team, their season record etc., at any given time. Patriots and Red Sox are more popular, and even the Bruins seem more popular than the Celtics. TD Garden sellouts do not reflect the true popularity.

In the northeast, of course. But worldwide or even nationwide? I don’t think so. Pats are not well liked elsewhere due to success from the TB12 years or spygate, deflategate, etc.

Patriots jersey sales were second only to the Cowboys last season, apparently.  It seems like they've got a lot of appeal.

The Celtics were 6th in the NBA (behind the Lakers, 76ers, Warriors, Bulls and Nets).

[Goldstar88]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

There is also a massive mall with stores, restaurants and entertainment in the exact area as the Pats HOF.  People in the southern and southwestern suburbs are drawn there on the regular by those things first and foremost. Hence the traffic that place gets. Such stuff to draw people doesn't exist near the Auerbach Center.

Sure, but there are also stores, restaurants, and entertainment close to the Auerbach Center. Plus, public transportation and a larger population of people in and around Boston. I would also imagine that there are more Celtics fans than Pats fans in general, as Basketball is popular worldwide and American football is not.

Not sure how much Basketball's global popularity tracks with Celtics popularity though. Anecdotally, living 'abroad' I've seen more American football jerseys than I have Celtics jerseys. Hell I've seen more Lonzo Ball jerseys than Celtics jerseys (unless I count the four that I own).

Jersey sales by country seem harder to find than in years past, but this more or less tracks with what I would expect to see:
 https://twitter.com/NBAUK/status/1546837625654448128

Yeah, that twitter list of Jersey sales for the UK is odd. I’d like to see Jersey sales in China, but I’m not able to find anything at this point. When doing a google search for “most popular NBA teams worldwide”, the Celtics show 2nd on the google list behind the Warriors.

[Goldstar88]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

There is also a massive mall with stores, restaurants and entertainment in the exact area as the Pats HOF.  People in the southern and southwestern suburbs are drawn there on the regular by those things first and foremost. Hence the traffic that place gets. Such stuff to draw people doesn't exist near the Auerbach Center.

Sure, but there are also stores, restaurants, and entertainment close to the Auerbach Center. Plus, public transportation and a larger population of people in and around Boston. I would also imagine that there are more Celtics fans than Pats fans in general, as Basketball is popular worldwide and American football is not.

Not to get off-track, but I'm not sure this is true. I've lived in the greater Boston area since 1976. There are not a lot of "Celtics fans", meaning people who know what is going on with the team, their season record etc., at any given time. Patriots and Red Sox are more popular, and even the Bruins seem more popular than the Celtics. TD Garden sellouts do not reflect the true popularity.

In the northeast, of course. But worldwide or even nationwide? I don’t think so. Pats are not well liked elsewhere due to success from the TB12 years or spygate, deflategate, etc.

Patriots jersey sales were second only to the Cowboys last season, apparently.  It seems like they've got a lot of appeal.

The Celtics were 6th in the NBA (behind the Lakers, 76ers, Warriors, Bulls and Nets).

Nationwide? I find that hard to believe as the Patriots haven’t been that competitive since Brady left 3+ years ago. They also don’t have any star players on the team. Do you think the Patriots are more popular nationwide and worldwide than the Celtics are?

[Kernewek]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

There is also a massive mall with stores, restaurants and entertainment in the exact area as the Pats HOF.  People in the southern and southwestern suburbs are drawn there on the regular by those things first and foremost. Hence the traffic that place gets. Such stuff to draw people doesn't exist near the Auerbach Center.

Sure, but there are also stores, restaurants, and entertainment close to the Auerbach Center. Plus, public transportation and a larger population of people in and around Boston. I would also imagine that there are more Celtics fans than Pats fans in general, as Basketball is popular worldwide and American football is not.

Not sure how much Basketball's global popularity tracks with Celtics popularity though. Anecdotally, living 'abroad' I've seen more American football jerseys than I have Celtics jerseys. Hell I've seen more Lonzo Ball jerseys than Celtics jerseys (unless I count the four that I own).

Jersey sales by country seem harder to find than in years past, but this more or less tracks with what I would expect to see:
 https://twitter.com/NBAUK/status/1546837625654448128

Yeah, that twitter list of Jersey sales for the UK is odd. I’d like to see Jersey sales in China, but I’m not able to find anything at this point. When doing a google search for “most popular NBA teams worldwide”, the Celtics show 2nd on the google list behind the Warriors.

Depends on your browser, & geolocation, but Google is pulling this list for me:
https://www.stadium-maps.com/facts/nba-teams-popularity.html

Which is basically just a descending table of Instagram followers.

There's also this one, which seems unreliable, to say the least: https://bookies.com/news/the-most-popular-us-sports-teams-around-the-world

But, generally, the Patriots have won a lot in recent history. The Celtics only have one chip over the same period of time. People are frontrunners - especially if they have no local ties.

[Donoghus]

Heartbroken when I heard the news yesterday.  Greatest Celtic of all time and one of the most respected athletes of all time.  Legend gets thrown around way too much but he really was one of those larger than life sports figures.  It was always a joy to be at the Garden when he'd drop in for a game and see the crowd response.  Might of had my favorite laugh of all time too.

[Goldstar88]

I was sad to hear the news, but not entirely surprised like I was with Tommy. Reports of Bill’s health deteriorating, him recently selling his house and auctioning off prized possessions. Felt like this day was coming soon..

It’s just a shame that the Celtics ownership wasn’t willing to buy everything up at auction and open up their own museum in Boston (Similar to what the Patriots did) to honor Celtics legends like Bill Russell. Would  have been great for fans to be able to visit and pay homage, instead of rich people just buying pieces to display in their mansions as trophies. It’s sickening, really.

Tough for the C's to set up a museum at the Garden given they don't own it and the limited space in that building. I guess they could set one up at the Auerbach Center, but that's not a tourist destination and would never get heavy traffic.

I mean, Foxborough, Massachusetts isn’t exactly a tourist destination either, but the Patriots HOF seems to draw good amount of people. The Auerbach Center is at least in Boston and there is public transportation.

There is also a massive mall with stores, restaurants and entertainment in the exact area as the Pats HOF.  People in the southern and southwestern suburbs are drawn there on the regular by those things first and foremost. Hence the traffic that place gets. Such stuff to draw people doesn't exist near the Auerbach Center.

Sure, but there are also stores, restaurants, and entertainment close to the Auerbach Center. Plus, public transportation and a larger population of people in and around Boston. I would also imagine that there are more Celtics fans than Pats fans in general, as Basketball is popular worldwide and American football is not.

Not sure how much Basketball's global popularity tracks with Celtics popularity though. Anecdotally, living 'abroad' I've seen more American football jerseys than I have Celtics jerseys. Hell I've seen more Lonzo Ball jerseys than Celtics jerseys (unless I count the four that I own).

Jersey sales by country seem harder to find than in years past, but this more or less tracks with what I would expect to see:
 https://twitter.com/NBAUK/status/1546837625654448128

Yeah, that twitter list of Jersey sales for the UK is odd. I’d like to see Jersey sales in China, but I’m not able to find anything at this point. When doing a google search for “most popular NBA teams worldwide”, the Celtics show 2nd on the google list behind the Warriors.

Depends on your browser, & geolocation, but Google is pulling this list for me:
https://www.stadium-maps.com/facts/nba-teams-popularity.html

Which is basically just a descending table of Instagram followers.

There's also this one, which seems unreliable, to say the least: https://bookies.com/news/the-most-popular-us-sports-teams-around-the-world

But, generally, the Patriots have won a lot in recent history. The Celtics only have one chip over the same period of time. People are frontrunners - especially if they have no local ties.

[/b]

Yeah, all of the sites seem unreliable. I agree with the bolded, but let me ask you this.. Do you think some of those front runners will start paying more attention to the C’s if they continue to make deep playoff pushes vs the Pats maybe being a borderline playoff team and likely best case, making the playoffs and losing first round? I can’t see them doing much better than 9-8 this season. Also, do you believe the Patriots are more popular nationwide and worldwide than the Celtics are? I have a hard time believing that considering basketball is huge in Asia (specifically China) and Europe.