Bill Russell, a famous basketball player and civil rights activist

Bill Russell amassed a history of championship accomplishments throughout his basketball career that is unmatched in any sport. He was the dominant defensive player of his generation and earned an Olympic gold medal with the US basketball team in 1956. Over the following 13 years, he guided the Boston Celtics to 11 NBA titles.

Russell became known for his long-lasting success as the most successful player in team sports history as the cornerstone of the franchise's dynasty in the 1950s and 1960s. He was the first black man to occupy that position in a major US professional sport when the Celtics named him head coach in 1966.

Russell, who has died aged 88, was indomitable on and off the court and one of the most fascinating public figures to straddle sports and civil rights. He was intensely driven and innovative as an athlete, notably when pitted in electrifying match-ups against Wilt Chamberlain, the dominant scorer of the era. Their rivalry elevated the popularity of the NBA.

In his prime, the goateed, broad-shouldered Russell was 220 pounds of lean muscle stretched over a 6ft 9in frame. Fast and agile, he had a superior vertical leap and used his 7ft 4in wingspan to block shots with his arm outstretched like a bowsprit. With his athletic shot-blocking and rebounding skills, he revolutionised the way basketball was played on defence.