Brad Stevens reflects on Bill Russell's legacy on C's great's 87th birthday

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Bill Russell turned 87 on Friday, and he celebrated his birthday in style.

The Boston Celtics great had not one, but two cakes to fit all of the candles and he blew all of them out like the legend he is.

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Before the Celtics' matchup vs. the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, head coach Brad Stevens took a moment to honor the 11-time NBA champion.

"He is everything you want to be represented by," Stevens said. "I've said this many times, when you think about his impact on and off the court, he's in very rarified air. I can't think of a better representative of our sport or the Celtics."

Russell won 11 titles as a player with the Celtics and two as a coach. Even more impressive than his illustrious NBA career are his actions off the court as a civil rights activist. The five-time league MVP will forever be remembered as one of the most influential figures in sports history.

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