Netflix drops trailer for documentary about basketball legend and civil rights icon Bill Russell

Virgin Radio

26 Jan 2023, 08:59

If you loved Netflix’s Michael Jordan docuseries, The Last Dance, then you’ll be delighted to learn that the streaming platform is stepping back onto the basketball court. 

A new feature documentary is on its way, and will focus on the life of NBA legend Bill Russell. You may not be as familiar with Russell as you are with the legendary Michael Jordan, but not only was he considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but was a civil rights icon, sacrificing himself for his teammates, and risking his stardom to advance human rights.

On the court, Russell was a force to be reckoned with as a Boston Celtics player from 1956 to 1969, and off the court he marched with the great Martin Luther King Jr., pioneered NBA boycotts and fought against racism. 

Now, the new Netflix film, called Bill Russell: Legend, will tell the remarkable life and legacy of the basketball superstar, who won 11 championships. The sports icon conducted exclusive interviews with filmmakers before he died in 2022, and the documentary will also feature the likes of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

The official trailer for the upcoming feature has now landed. In it, we hear Barack Obama saying: “More than any athlete of his era, Bill Russell came to define the word ‘winner’. Bill Russell, the man, is someone who stood up for the rights and dignity of all men.” 

We see the former POTUS bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Russell in 2011.

Have a look at the trailer here:

Digging into Russell’s personal archives, the documentary was directed by filmmaker Sam Pollard, and created in collaboration with the basketball legend before he died last year.

Bill Russell: Legend will premiere on Netflix on 8th February.