"When I saw him at the press conference, I said, 'I thought it would be nice to win the Bill Russell award,' " said Pierce, who had 18 points in the East's loss to the West last night. "I think it's great for a guy that has done so much for the game of basketball to be honored with such a prestigious award. It is such a long time coming because this guy is such an ambassador of the game and has done so much for the game. It's great for the game of basketball to have Bill Russell's name on such an award."
Said Boston All-Star Ray Allen, "It's a great honor because we know it's going to outlast him. It's a great legacy to be left to the league."
In an All-Star weekend highlighted by Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and the Celtics' "Big Three" among others, and a great dunk contest, Russell was a big part of the show.
After telling Russell just 15 minutes beforehand, NBA commissioner David Stern made the announcement of the Finals MVP honor during his annual news conference. Russell, whose wife, Marilyn, recently passed away, was understandably emotional during the announcement. The NBA also gave the first Finals MVP trophy to the greatest defender in league history.
"Had our timing been better, there is no doubt that Bill would have won the Finals MVP award several times, but we're delighted that we can honor him in this way," Stern said. "Bill inspired a generation not just of basketball fans but Americans everywhere. He is respected by colleagues, coaches, fans, and his legacy clearly has stood the test of time.
"We know that Bill has recently lost his wife, Marilyn, who was a great friend of the NBA. I'm delighted to be able to tell you that we shared it with Marilyn before she died and she didn't tell Bill."
Said Russell, "This is a bittersweet award. I just lost my special partner, but I wanted to thank my teammates because we played a team game quite well, and I accept this for my team, and my team included our coach, Red Auerbach, and all my teammates over the years."
