NBA Legend Bill Russel Hospitalized With Heart Trouble, Now Released
NBA Legend Bill Russell was reportedly rushed to the hospital from his home in Washington, apparently after what was believed to be a heart condition at the time. The 84-year old basketball icon then assured fans that it was just because he "don't drink enough."
A representative for Russell also confirmed that it was not a heart ailment, and it was due to dehydration, instead. A report by TMZ was one of the first to break the news that the Celtics icon was taken by ambulance from his home in Washington state due to an apparent heart issue.
According to the initial report on the NBA legend's condition, he was reportedly having shortness of breath and heart trouble and needed to be hospitalized in a nearby facility. The report was based on law enforcement sources that relayed the news that an ambulance was called to Russell's home in the Seattle area.
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The incident took place on Friday, May 18. One night later, Russell was already out of the hospital where he spent the night and took the time to update his fans via social media along the way, too.
"Thank you everyone for the kind thoughts, yes I was taken to the hospital last night & as my wife likes to remind me I don't drink enough," he posted on Twitter on Sunday, May 20.
"On my way home & as most my friends know I don't have a heart to give me trouble," he teased, taking note of earlier reports that he was rushed due to heart-related difficulties. Russell is considered surprisingly adept at using social media, at least for an NBA player that has been in his prime during the 60's.
He put in a string of mentions after his tweet, doing it as a shout out to the NBA and his Boston Celtics, as well as TMZ and other NBA media outlets.
Russell has also been hospitalized back in 2014, after collapsing at a speaking event he attended in Nevada. He was around 80 years old already at the time.
The 11-time NBA Champion and Celtics legend is now 84 years old, and he was also the first African-American coach in NBA, and in a major pro sport in the US in general. Up to this day, he's still an occasional presence in the league as a fan of his team, as NBC Sports pointed out.
Russell was spotted as recently as Game 1 of the Celtics post-season series against the Philadelphia 76ers, which went down at the TD Garden on April 30. He is also an active supporter of the current team, taking the time to tweet about the Celtics' current playoff run against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
