Celtics unveil 2022-23 City Edition jerseys to pay tribute to the late Bill Russell

The Boston Celtics unveiled their 2022-23 City Edition uniforms that will be used a total of 11 times this season to honor the late Bill Russell who passed away earlier this year. Russell collaborated on these jerseys and provided input. The Celtics are set to tip off the season tomorrow night against the Philadelphia 76ers wearing these uniforms.

The Celtics tweeted out a video teasing these uniforms, highlighting Bill Russell’s outstanding achievements both on and off the basketball court. These jerseys were previously leaked two weeks ago, but as with many jersey leaks, those pictures did not do the final product much justice. Additionally, early leaks had gold down the sides of the jersey and shorts, whereas the final version has black trim with gold diamonds representing Russell’s league-high 11 championships.

That’s not the only place where the 11 championships are represented. In addition to the gold trim highlighting the “Golden Era” of Celtics basketball, the shorts feature Bill Russell’s famous (and now retired) No. 6 right on the belt buckle surrounded by 11 diamonds. Additionally, the gold-outlined “Celtics” on the front of the jersey is written in the same script as the sign for Slade’s Bar and Grill, which Bill Russell famously owned in the ‘60s.

Bill Russell is more than icon at this point, so it’s nice to see the Celtics honoring him with more than just a jersey patch. These jerseys are not bad at all, especially when looking at some other alternate designs over the last 5-10 years. It’s not the same Kelly Green we’re accustomed to, but it is a nice shade of green. Additionally, the black and gold accents work in well tandem. I don’t think anyone will complain about the many accents that highlight Russell’s greatness.

The Celtics will unveil this jersey on TV tomorrow as they get set to tip off the 2022-23 season against the Philadelphia 76ers at 8 p.m. ET. Hopefully, in honor of Bill Russell, this is the beginning of a title season.