NBA commissioner Adam Silver hailed Bill Russell as "the greatest champion in all of team sports" as he paid tribute to the basketball great, who died on Sunday.

Russell's family confirmed the 11-time NBA champion had passed away "peacefully" at the age of 88.

He was the first black head coach of any North American professional sports team, leading the Boston Celtics to back-to-back NBA Championships in 1968 and 1969.

Russell was an All-Star on 12 occasions, a five-time NBA MVP and is one of only four players to have been named to all four NBA anniversary teams (25th, 35th, 50th and 75th).

Away from the court, Russell championed the civil rights movement and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 by Barack Obama.

"Bill Russell was the greatest champion in all of team sports," Silver wrote.

"The countless accolades that he earned for his storied career with the Boston Celtics – including a record 11 championships and five MVP awards – only begin to tell the story of Bill's immense impact on our league and broader society.

"Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league.

"At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps.

"Through the taunts, threats and unthinkable adversity, Bill rose above it all and remained true to his belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.

"For nearly 35 years since Bill completed his trailblazing career as the league's first black head coach, we were fortunate to see him at every major NBA event, including the NBA Finals, where he presented the Bill Russell Trophy to the Finals MVP.

"I cherished my friendship with Bill and was thrilled when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I often called him basketball's Babe Ruth for how he transcended time.

"Bill was the ultimate winner and consummate team-mate, and his influence on the NBA will be felt forever. We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Jeannine, his family and his many friends."

Every NBA championship-winning team has been led by a superstar, and at the centre, both literally and figuratively, of the greatest dynasty in not just the NBA, but in American sports history stood Bill Russell.

An 11-time NBA champion, a five-time league MVP and a 12-time All-Star during a 13-year professional career with the Boston Celtics, Russell is one of the United States’ most decorated basketball players.

He died on Sunday at the age of 88. His family confirmed the news on social media.

"Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully today at age 88, with his wife, Jeannine, by his side," a statement read.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a tribute that Russell was ''the greatest champion in all of team sports.''

Russell, six feet and 10 inches tall, helped revolutionise basketball, taking a hard-nose, defense-first mentality to the court, frustrating opponents with his vast wingspan. He is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Born in Monroe, Louisiana on February 12, 1934, Russell and his family moved to Oakland, California when he was eight years old. His legend on the court began at McClymonds High School, where his menacing defense helped his team to back-to-back state championships in his junior and senior years.

Lightly recruited by colleges, Russell accepted a scholarship to the nearby University of San Francisco, where his game took off as he led the Dons to consecutive NCAA championships as a junior and senior. He was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in 1955 and the NCAA National Player of the Year in 1956.

One of the most highly coveted prospects of the 1956 NBA Draft, the Celtics acquired Russell in a draft-day trade with the St. Louis Hawks, who selected him with the second pick. A trade that would shape the NBA landscape for the next 13 years.

Before his Celtics debut, however, Russell helped the United States Olympic men's basketball team win the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Games.

Once he joined Boston, he made an immediate impact, averaging 14.7 points and 19.6 rebounds during his rookie season in 1956-57 as Boston captured their first NBA title.

In 1958-59, he led the Celtics to the first of an unprecedented eight consecutive NBA championships, culminating with legendary coach Red Auerbach retiring after the last of those titles.

Russell then took over as player-coach, becoming the first African-American coach in the NBA. The Celtics' winning streak was interrupted in the 1966-67 season, before Russell helped guide Boston to two more titles in his final two campaigns in the NBA in 1967-68 and 1968-69, serving as coach in those seasons as well.

Russell ended his career with averages of 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds and his 21,620 total rebounds trail only Wil Chamberlain for the most in NBA history. When he was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on April 28, 1975 he became the first African American to be inducted.

For his postseason achievements, his legacy lives on as the NBA Finals MVP trophy was named the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 2009.

While he may be most remembered for his dominance on the court, he is also regarded as a pioneer in sports activism.

A civil rights advocate during his playing days, Russell used his platform later in life to speak out against social injustices, and in 2011, President Barack Obama awarded him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Russell is survived by his wife Jeannine. He had three children – Karen Russell, William Russell Jr. and Jacob Russell.

NBA legend Bill Russell has died at the age of 88 on Sunday, his family have confirmed.

The 11-time NBA champion was a titan of the sporting world and paved the way for the future after becoming the first black head coach of any North American professional sports team, leading the Boston Celtics to back-to-back NBA Championships in 1968 and 1969.

Russell's play-off rebounds-per-game average of 24.9 during his 13-year career, where he remarkably won the NBA championship in all but two seasons, is an NBA record that stands to this day.

"Bill Russell, the most prolific winner in American sports history, passed away peacefully today at age 88, with his wife, Jeannine, by his side," a statement said.

"Bill's wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you for keeping Bill in your prayers. 

"Perhaps you'll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark laugh as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded.

"And we hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bill's uncompromising, dignified and always constructive commitment to principle.

"That we be one last, and lasting, win for our beloved #6."

Away from the court, Russell championed the Civil Rights movement and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 by Barack Obama, who heralded him as "someone who stood up for the rights and dignity of all men."

Phase 1 and The Caribbean Basketball Academy booked their spots in Saturday’s final as the Jamaica Basketball Showcase continued at the University of Technology on Friday.

In game one on Friday’s penultimate day, CBA beat the Central Warriors 39-36 with CBA’s Lushane Wilson being named player of the game.

Phase 1 beat Lignum Vitae 49-43 in game two. Romar Parkes of Lignum Vitae was named player of the match despite his team losing.

Game three saw Blue Mahoe scoring a 44-40 victory over Hummingbirds. Blue Mahoe’s Alex Levy was player of the match.

Lignum Vitae rebounded from their earlier loss to beat Central Warriors 47-44. Parkes was player of the match, this time in a winning effort.

Game five saw Phase 1 beat Hummingbirds 49-41 thanks to a player of the match performance from Nicolai Brown.

Game six was the highest scoring on the day with CBA outscoring Blue Mahoe 80-75 with CBA’s Matthew McGowan and Blue Mahoe’s Alex Levy sharing player of the game honours.

Phase 1 and CBA booked their spots in the final thanks to preliminary round records of 4-0 and 3-1, respectively.

The NBA has begun an investigation into a potential tampering violation by the Philadelphia 76ers and their signings of James Harden, P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. 

The league is interested in the circumstances surrounding Harden declining his $47million player option to sign a two-year, $68m contract that includes a player option for the second year of the deal.  

Questions have been raised about whether there was a handshake agreement in place on a future contract – which would be in violation of collective bargaining rules. 

Harden’s decision to decline his option gave Philadelphia more flexibility to sign Tucker and House. 

"Taking less money this year to sign as many players as we needed to help us contend and be the last team standing was very, very important to me," Harden said in an interview this month. "I wanted to show the organisation, the Sixers fans and everybody else who supports what we're trying to accomplish, what I'm trying to accomplish individually, that this is what I'm about."

Tucker signed a three-year, $30m contract, and House signed for $8.4m over two years. The 76ers were able to sign Tucker to the full mid-level exception and sign House to the bi-annual exception only because Harden declined his option. 

According to the report, 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has already begun answering questions from league attorneys.  

With tampering often a potential issue, the NBA approved stiffer penalties in 2019 and stripped a draft pick from the Chicago Bulls for early contact with Lonzo Ball in 2019, and the Miami Heat for doing the same with Kyle Lowry last summer. 

Xavier Clarke was player of the match as Lignum Vitae got a 44-35 win over Blue Mahoe to kick off the 2022 Jamaica Basketball Showcase at the University of Technology on Thursday.

In total, there were six matches played on Thursday’s day one.

In the second, Phase 1 beat Central Warriors 51-35 thanks to player of the match David Gordon.

Matthew McGowan starred as the Caribbean Basketball Academy secured a 55-37 victory over Hummingbirds in game three.

Game four saw Central Warriors hand Blue Mahoe their second loss of the day with a 54-44 win thanks to player of the game, Alex Levy.

Phase 1 then made it two from two as they secured a 42-34 win over Caribbean Basketball Academy in game five thanks to player of the game, Anthony White.

In the final game, Hummingbirds got one in the win column, beating Lignum Vitae 52-49 with Jadeja McCormack being voted player of the game.

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum says Kevin Durant is a "great player", but is unsure his team needs to bring the wantaway Brooklyn Nets man onboard.

Two-time NBA Finals MVP Durant requested a trade out of Barclays Center last month following a 4-0 playoff exit to the Celtics.

That sparked discussions between a host of sides and the Nets, with Boston also reportedly making enquiries into his availability.

Durant averaged 29.9 points per game in the regular season across 55 appearances, with only Joel Embiid (30.6) and LeBron James (30.3) averaging more, as well as 6.4 assists and 7.4 rebounds.

But while Tatum has tremendous respect for Durant, having played alongside him for the United States team as part of the Tokyo 2020 gold medal-winning squad, he thinks the Celtics already have the players they need onboard.

"I played with [Durant] during the Olympics," he said on Tuesday at the premiere of Showtime documentary 'Point Gods'. "Obviously, he's a great player, but that's not my decision. I love our team. I love the guys that we got.

"We got two new pieces [in Malcolm Brogdon and Danilo Gallinari]. I love our team. I just go out there and play with my teammates. I don't put that [general manager] hat on to make decisions."

Shareef O'Neal, the son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal, has signed with the NBA G League Ignite team. 

After playing for the Los Angeles Lakers during Summer League, The Athletic reported that O'Neal had put pen to paper on a six-figure contract. 

The 22-year-old, who was not picked in the 2022 NBA Draft, confirmed the news by tweeting: "Vegas, let's do it! Thank you Ignite!" 

O'Neal averaged 4.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 10.9 minutes per game in his six Summer League appearances. 

The Ignite team was established in 2020 to help elite NBA prospects develop their game without going to college. 

O'Neal was diagnosed with a right anomalous coronary artery and underwent open heart surgery in December 2018 while at UCLA. 

The Boston Celtics have emerged as a possible trade destination for Kevin Durant, according to reports.

The 12-time All-Star forward rocked the Brooklyn Nets by requesting a trade last month, having joined the franchise in 2019.

Having won back-to-back NBA titles in 2017 and 2018 during his time with the Golden State Warriors, being named the finals' MVP on both occasions, Durant has reportedly shown signs of discontent with the Nets' failure to compete for a first-ever NBA title.

The Nets' 2022 playoff campaign was halted by a first-round defeat to the Celtics, who now appear to be in the hunt for Durant's signature.

According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics' ability to include 2021 All-star forward Jaylen Brown in any deal makes them a strong contender to acquire Durant, who is under contract until 2026.

Durant is expected to command a huge trade package, and ESPN claim Boston could offer as many as three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps alongside Brown's services.

The Miami Heat, the Phoenix Suns and the Toronto Raptors have also been credited with an interest in Durant, who led the Nets with an average of 29.9 points per game across his 2021-22 regular-season campaign, posting a 36-19 record in his 55 outings.

The Phoenix Suns and head coach Monty Williams have agreed to a long-term contract extension, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday. 

The exact terms of the deal were not made public, but the extension adds multiple years onto Williams’ original deal, which had two seasons remaining. 

Williams has been at the helm during one of the best stretches in franchise history, guiding the Suns to a 2021 NBA Finals appearance and a franchise-best 64 wins last season. 

Williams has gone 149-78 (.656 win percentage) in three seasons with Phoenix and was named the 2021-22 NBA Coach of the Year. 

The Suns earned the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs last season and were considered favourites to return to a second straight Finals but were beaten in seven games by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round. 

Karl-Anthony Towns believes it is "championship or bust" for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Rudy Gobert will be a huge part of the team achieving their goals.

The Timberwolves acquired center Gobert from the Utah Jazz in a blockbuster trade after falling to the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs this year.

It was only the second time Minnesota had made the postseason since drafting Towns first overall in 2015.

The arrival of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Gobert will see Towns spent a lot more time at the power forward position, but he feels the pair will complement each other well and hopes it can push the team into championship contention.

"I expect a lot of winning for sure. I wanna win. I'm not up here blowing smoke, I really wanna try to bring a championship run to Minnesota and Rudy adds a huge component to that," said Towns, who recently signed a four-year, $224million super max contract extension.

"He's gonna be a massive part of us being a championship team and my job is to help him as much as he's gonna help me.

"His strengths are my weaknesses and his weaknesses are my strengths, so we'll be able to play off of each other.

"It's go time. There's no more excuses. We've gotta get it done now. It's championship now or bust."

Last season saw the Timberwolves end a run of three straight years with a losing record, and it was the momentum Towns felt that had been built that convinced him to extend his deal in Minnesota.

"I wanted to keep this going. Last year, after me talking to a bunch of NBA players and front office people and us, the NBA is aware of who we are now," said Towns.

"We set out to go out there and make noise and show everyone this isn't the Timberwolves they're used to, and we've done that. Why not keep that momentum going and bring back a championship or that basketball that the fans and everyone here has been yearning for so much?

"Let's bring it back, and not for just one year. Let's do it for consecutive years and make a run."

The NBA has fined Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob $500,000 for recent comments made on a podcast that violate the league’s rules on discussing collective bargaining, ESPN reported Wednesday.

While making an appearance on the Point Forward Podcast, hosted by Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner, Lacob called the NBA’s luxury tax structure "very unfair", lamenting the extra costs of having the league’s highest payroll.

This past season, the Warriors paid Stephen Curry $48million, Klay Thompson $40m, Andrew Wiggins $33m, Draymond Green $25m, and former second overall pick James Wiseman $9m, totalling $155m from just five of their 15 roster spots. The NBA's 'soft cap' – meaning the salary cap that can be exceeded to re-sign a team's current players – was set at $112m for 2021-22, and will rise to $122m for the upcoming season.

"The truth is, we're only $40 million more than the luxury tax. Now, that's not small but it's not a massive number," Lacob said. "We're $200 million over in total because most of that is this incredible penal luxury tax. And what I consider to be unfair and I'm going to say it on this podcast, and I hope it gets back to whoever is listening.

"Obviously, it's self-serving for me to say this, but I think it's a very unfair system because our team is built by... all [of our] top eight players are all drafted by this team."

Lacob said that some have classified the Warriors’ 2022 championship a "checkbook win."

According to ESPN, the Warriors paid $69 million in luxury tax in 2020-21, $170 million in 2021-22 and are projected to pay $181 million in 2022-23.

James Harden has officially finalised his deal to stay with the Philadelphia 76ers, agreeing to a two-year, $68.6million contract on Wednesday.

Harden will make $33m for the 2022-23 season and then has the player option for $35.6m in 2023-24. He can decline the option and become a free agent again ahead of the 2023-24 and sign a new deal. 

Harden had previously declined his $47.4m player option for this upcoming season from the 76ers, but was set to return to them all along while taking a pay-cut to help the team sign other players with the hopes of building a championship roster. 

Thanks in part to his pay-cut, the 76ers have been able to add P.J. Tucker and Danuel House this offseason, and are expected to contend amongst the best teams in the Eastern Conference with MVP runner-up Joel Embiid and Harden leading the way. 

Philadelphia acquired Harden from the Brooklyn Nets in February, and he averaged 21 points, 10.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds in 21 games with the Sixers, but the team suffered the same fate as three of the previous four seasons, again losing in the Eastern Conference semifinals. 

The 76ers have not been past the conference semis since losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals, and the 32-year-old Harden has never won a title, only reaching the NBA Finals once, in 2012 with the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

A 10-time All-Star and the 2017-18 NBA MVP, Harden averaged 22 points, 10.3 assists and 7.7 rebounds in 65 total regular-season games for the 76ers and Nets, missing time due to hamstring issues. 

Andrew Wiggins became an NBA champion and All-Star in the 2021-22 season, but he has revealed he regrets getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

The 27-year-old small forward took his game to a new level last season, helping the Golden State Warriors win the NBA title.

Wiggins averaged 17.2 points with a career-best three-point percentage of 39.3 per cent along with 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in the 2021-22 season. He was a key contributor during the playoffs too, averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

But the 2014 NBA Draft top pick reflected on his prolonged decision to get vaccinated on the eve of the season. The situation threatened to evolve similarly to Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who saw his season sidetracked.

"I still wish I didn't get [vaccinated], to be honest with you," Wiggins told FanSided.

"I did it, and I was an All-Star this year and champion, so that was the good part, just not missing out on the year, the best year of my career.

"But for my body, I just don't like putting all that stuff in my body, so I didn't like that and I didn't like that it wasn't my choice. I didn't like that it was either get this or don't play."

The Los Angeles County district attorney has confirmed Charlotte Hornets free agent Miles Bridges will face three felony domestic violence charges.

Bridges was arrested last month by the Los Angeles Police Department after being accused of assaulting his girlfriend in front of their two children. He has been charged on one felony county of injuring a child's parent and two felony counts of child abuse.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said: "Domestic violence creates physical, mental and emotional trauma that has a lasting impact on survivors.

"Children who witness family violence are especially vulnerable and the impact on them is immeasurable.

"Mr. Bridges will be held accountable for his actions and our Bureau of Victim Services will support the survivors through this difficult process."

The Hornets forward, who was released on $130,000 bond, is scheduled to be arraigned in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old was the leading scorer for the Hornets last season and is set to become a restricted free agent on Thursday. Bridges averaged career highs of 20.4 points and 7.0 rebounds last season.