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Bill Russell Takes A Knee With His Presidential Medal Of Freedom

BOSTON (CBS) -- Celtics great and NBA legend Bill Russell has joined the #TakeAKnee movement, and he brought a friend.

A photo of the 83-year-old Russell taking a knee with his Presidential Medal of Freedom hit Twitter on Monday, sent out from the Twitter account @BillRus73270016. The NBA has confirmed that this is a legitimate account.

The 11-time NBA champion has never been afraid to speak up about racial inequality, and played a major role in the Civil Rights movement throughout his career in the NBA. His work continued when his playing days were over, and Russell was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2011.

Russell-Medal-Of-Freedom
U.S. President Barack Obama presents Basetball Hall of Fame member and human rights advocate Bill Russell the 2010 Medal of Freedom. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Russell, the first black coach in the NBA, joins the large collection of sports figures to speak out against President Donald Trump's recent comments regarding NFL players who take a knee during the national anthem.

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