Basketball Hall of Fame member Bill Russell waves as he is introduced at a game between the Minnesota Lynx and the Las Vegas Aces at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on July 21, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Getty | Ethan Miller

Every so often, we see a real legend emerge from the ranks of professional sports, standing out among their teammates as one of the most crucial players present in the entire league.

That was the case for one Bill Russel, an incredible man who not only held great acclaim in the world of basketball, becoming an NBA champion 11 times, but also in the world of civil rights activism.

Star athlete Bill Russell has passed away at 88.

Russell was known to be one of the most accomplished NBA players of all time, with 11 championship wins under his belt with the Boston Celtics, not to mention his long list of achievements before he joined the NBA.

His passing was announced on his social media pages.

The post explains that he passed away peacefully.

Basketball Hall of Fame member Bill Russell waves as he is introduced at a game between the Minnesota Lynx and the Las Vegas Aces at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on July 21, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Getty | Ethan Miller

Though, the exact cause was never shared. He passed away with his wife, Jeannine, at his side.

Russell was also a well-known civil rights activist, revealing a lot of discrimination present in the industry and fighting injustice wherever he saw it, so much so that he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010.

We wish peace for his family and friends in the wake of his passing.

h/t: TMZ