Three most inspirational figures in NBA history

The NBA is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the US and Canada. It is composed of 30 total teams and offers some of the most exciting basketball matches in the world. Serious punters who use odds calculator love the NBA as it provides them with very lucrative betting opportunities. 

1- Bill Russell

Bill Russell is a big name in the history of the NBA. He played as a center for the Boston Celtics between 1956 and1969. His stint in Boston was highly successful as he won eleven NBA championships there.

Many regard Bill Russell as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. The American player would always provide his best game when it mattered, especially in the NBA Finals.

He achieved so much in sports despite facing many hardships. It is said that he experienced racism from an early age. However, he knew that basketball was his opportunity to escape poverty and racism. And so he worked hard and made a big name for himself.

Bill Russell helped the San Francisco Dons to two consecutive NCAA championships before also achieving a highly successful career in the NBA. He was also active in the Black Power Movement, which was a social movement that aimed for greater safety and self-sufficiency for African American neighborhoods.

Russell also backed the famous American boxer Muhammad Ali when he refused to fight in the Vietnam War.

2- Magic Johnson

Magic Johnson is considered as the best point guard of all time. He was so talented that many top-ranked colleges such as Indiana and UCLA were prepared to hire him. However, he chose to play for Michigan State and won the championship with them in 1979, defeating Indiana State in the final. He also won the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

Johnson was picked up by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1979 NBA draft. The American basketball player won a championship in his rookie season before adding four more during the 1980s. He has the distinction of winning three NBA MVP Awards during his career.

Many people are likely familiar with his career achievements. However, they might not know that he fought dyslexia and ADD as a child. He overcame those diseases and went on to become such a huge success.

Johnson has also been a huge advocate for HIV/AIDS prevention after he contracted it back in 1991. He has also been part of several AIDS awareness programs.

3- Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He played a significant role in helping to popularize the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

The great American athlete played his college basketball for three seasons with North Carolina Tar Heels before joining the Chicago Bulls in 1984. He claimed his first championship with the Bulls in 1991 before adding two more titles in 1992 and 1993.

Jordan surprised all basketball fans in 1993 by announcing his retirement. However, he returned to the NBA in 1995 and won three more championships with the Bulls.

There are countless examples of sports athletes whose life stories are hugely inspirational for other people. Angel Di Maria, who you might have seen showcasing his talents in some of the best football stadiums in the world, is one such athlete who achieved tremendous success despite being very poor as a child.

Michael Jordan also faced setbacks in his life. It is said that he couldn’t even make the varsity as a sophomore at Laney High School. However, he used that failure to serve as a motivation for him to do better in his career.