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Player-Coach-GOAT
Date: 1968
After missing the NBA Finals in 1967, player-coach Bill Russell had to get the Celtics back on top. In the 1968 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Sports Illustrated put Lakers stars Elgin Baylor and Jerry West on the cover. Russell explained “that was all we needed” as motivation to win the crown. The Celtics repeated with another NBA World Championship title in 1969. Russell later said: “Last year’s championship is only important in how other teams fear you; you still have to go out and beat everyone again.”
Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images