Pierce, Russell headline 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame class originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
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A couple of Boston Celtics legends are among the notable names in the 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame class.
The Hall of Fame officially announced the next class Sunday morning, and one of several players to be inducted later this year is former Celtics forward Paul Pierce.
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Here's the full list of players and coaches in the 2021 class:
Pierce played 15 seasons for the Celtics from 1998-99 through 2012-13. He was a 10-time All-Star, a four-time All-NBA selection and won the 2008 NBA Finals MVP award after leading the Celtics to their 17th world championship. He also ranks second on Boston's career scoring leaderboard with 24,021 points.
Another C's legend being honored is Bill Russell. The legendary center already was enshrined as a player in 1975. He's now being inducted again for his accomplishments as a coach.
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Russell became the first African-American head coach in league history after Red Auerbach retired from the Celtics in 1966. In his final three seasons with the Celtics, Russell led the team to two NBA titles (1967-68 and 1968-69) as player/coach. Russell also coached the Seattle SuperSonics from 1973-74 through 1976-77, as well as the Sacramento Kings in 1987-88. His coaching career includes a 341-290 record in the regular season and a 34-27 playoff record.
Russell joins fellow C's legends Tommy Heinsohn and Bill Sharman, and Lenny Wilkens as the only people to earn Hall of Fame status as both a player and a coach in the NBA.
The 2021 class will be inducted in September.
