“Retiring was my final victory. Not staying a minute too long, or a season too long, let me leave on my own terms. Knowing when to retire is difficult for any athlete or businessperson. You have to give up so much and start another life. But making that decision and sticking to it is one of the most rewarding decisions you will ever make in your life. I encourage people to look at this moment as starting a new season in a different game.”

ELISE AMENDOLA/AP
Bill Russell (l.) shares a laugh with entertainer Bill Cosby during a tribute to Russell in Boston, May 26, 1999.