Sign Bill Russell to a "Legends" endorsement deal and pay homage to one of the GOAT's
Sign Bill Russell to a "Legends" endorsement deal and pay homage to one of the GOAT's
The Issue
Bill Russell Sneaker Endorsement Petition
Ask the greatest basketball sneaker brands in the world to sign Bill Russell to a “Legends” contract and produce products that tell his stories and continue to build his legacy. This request comes at a time where our country is experiencing a great deal of unrest. As Covid-19 continues it’s wrath of destruction and Social Justice issues continue to plague our nation, we look to our leaders for inspiration and guidance. Bill Russell is a winner of 11 championships in 13 years and a 2011 Presidential Medal of Freedom award recipient. He is a fighter and a winner, on and off the court. He is arguably the greatest leader ever in sports. At 86 years old, Mr. Russell continues to represent the fight for the justice and liberties that our children will benefit from. Signing this petition can help ensure that his legacy grows through pop culture in a way that educates and pays homage to the greatest winner and activist basketball has ever seen.
Why is this important?
One of the variables that help rocket an athlete in to stardom, particularly basketball players, are their shoes. Some people consider Michael Jordan to be the greatest player of all time. Many of those same people were not born early enough to have the privilege of seeing him play in real time, yet they continue to buy his shoes. Stories behind the design of the shoes and memorable moments in an athlete’s life and career can be expressed through a sneakers themes and color-ways. Russell was the first black superstar in the NBA and widely known for his colorful personality.
Most of the greatest basketball players have had their own signature shoe. Bill Russell on the other hand, played at a time where there wasn’t a great deal of versatility and creativity in the structure and design of shoes. Although shoes like the converse all-star chuck taylor are classics, innovation, technology, and fashion have allowed for footwear to be more than just something to protect your feet. What you wear on your feet is an expression of who you are, what you represent, and tells the stories behind some of the most inspiring people representing the brand. Bill Russell is one of the greatest athletes ever and along with people, like his friends Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson, Bill Russell is one of the most inspiring individuals of all time.
History
Bill Russell is the greatest winner in American professional sports team history. Bill earned 11 Championships in 13 years with the Boston Celtics from 1956-1969, including 2 championships as a player-coach in his last two seasons before retiring in 1969. Prior to him being drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1956, Mr. Russell also won two national championships at the University of San Francisco in ‘55 and ’56 as well as a gold medal in the 1956 summer Olympics. With question of whether college sports was ever amateur, this makes for 13 Championships in 15 years of playing basketball at the highest level. On the court Bill Russell won a lot of games, but it’s what he does off the court that continues to solidify his legendary status.
In his 1979 memoir, Second Wind, Russell called the city he brought 11 Championships to, a “flea market of racism.” His Massachusetts home was vandalized and he heard discriminatory remarks throughout his whole career. Still, he remained dedicated to the fight for equality. In 1967, he stood next to Muhammad Ali at the Cleveland Summit. He marched on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King and John Lewis, and also attended the funeral of Medgar Evers where he held an integrated basketball camp for black and white kids, despite the racist taunts and terrorism from the racist people of Mississippi. Bill Russell’s civil rights contributions helped change the world, and his legacy is worthy of our recognition and respect.
Why Should we Sign this now?
In today’s current climate, signing a petition like this may seem small in comparison to all of the challenges we are facing, but this is about more than sneakers and sports. Bill Russell is more than an athlete. Sure, his success on the court alone deserves a sneaker deal, but it is his contributions off the court that deserve our action. Lets not wait until it is too late to show a renewed interest in him. Let’s say thank you to Mr. Russell now and learn more about him through footwear and popular culture.
Thank you for signing this petition.
Submitted By Devin Robinson
@devhustles
devhustles@yahoo.com
160
The Issue
Bill Russell Sneaker Endorsement Petition
Ask the greatest basketball sneaker brands in the world to sign Bill Russell to a “Legends” contract and produce products that tell his stories and continue to build his legacy. This request comes at a time where our country is experiencing a great deal of unrest. As Covid-19 continues it’s wrath of destruction and Social Justice issues continue to plague our nation, we look to our leaders for inspiration and guidance. Bill Russell is a winner of 11 championships in 13 years and a 2011 Presidential Medal of Freedom award recipient. He is a fighter and a winner, on and off the court. He is arguably the greatest leader ever in sports. At 86 years old, Mr. Russell continues to represent the fight for the justice and liberties that our children will benefit from. Signing this petition can help ensure that his legacy grows through pop culture in a way that educates and pays homage to the greatest winner and activist basketball has ever seen.
Why is this important?
One of the variables that help rocket an athlete in to stardom, particularly basketball players, are their shoes. Some people consider Michael Jordan to be the greatest player of all time. Many of those same people were not born early enough to have the privilege of seeing him play in real time, yet they continue to buy his shoes. Stories behind the design of the shoes and memorable moments in an athlete’s life and career can be expressed through a sneakers themes and color-ways. Russell was the first black superstar in the NBA and widely known for his colorful personality.
Most of the greatest basketball players have had their own signature shoe. Bill Russell on the other hand, played at a time where there wasn’t a great deal of versatility and creativity in the structure and design of shoes. Although shoes like the converse all-star chuck taylor are classics, innovation, technology, and fashion have allowed for footwear to be more than just something to protect your feet. What you wear on your feet is an expression of who you are, what you represent, and tells the stories behind some of the most inspiring people representing the brand. Bill Russell is one of the greatest athletes ever and along with people, like his friends Muhammad Ali and Jackie Robinson, Bill Russell is one of the most inspiring individuals of all time.
History
Bill Russell is the greatest winner in American professional sports team history. Bill earned 11 Championships in 13 years with the Boston Celtics from 1956-1969, including 2 championships as a player-coach in his last two seasons before retiring in 1969. Prior to him being drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1956, Mr. Russell also won two national championships at the University of San Francisco in ‘55 and ’56 as well as a gold medal in the 1956 summer Olympics. With question of whether college sports was ever amateur, this makes for 13 Championships in 15 years of playing basketball at the highest level. On the court Bill Russell won a lot of games, but it’s what he does off the court that continues to solidify his legendary status.
In his 1979 memoir, Second Wind, Russell called the city he brought 11 Championships to, a “flea market of racism.” His Massachusetts home was vandalized and he heard discriminatory remarks throughout his whole career. Still, he remained dedicated to the fight for equality. In 1967, he stood next to Muhammad Ali at the Cleveland Summit. He marched on Washington with Dr. Martin Luther King and John Lewis, and also attended the funeral of Medgar Evers where he held an integrated basketball camp for black and white kids, despite the racist taunts and terrorism from the racist people of Mississippi. Bill Russell’s civil rights contributions helped change the world, and his legacy is worthy of our recognition and respect.
Why Should we Sign this now?
In today’s current climate, signing a petition like this may seem small in comparison to all of the challenges we are facing, but this is about more than sneakers and sports. Bill Russell is more than an athlete. Sure, his success on the court alone deserves a sneaker deal, but it is his contributions off the court that deserve our action. Lets not wait until it is too late to show a renewed interest in him. Let’s say thank you to Mr. Russell now and learn more about him through footwear and popular culture.
Thank you for signing this petition.
Submitted By Devin Robinson
@devhustles
devhustles@yahoo.com
160
Petition created on July 22, 2020