The biggest news involving the Boston Celtics on Saturday had nothing to do with their Game 3 matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers. A report by TMZ indicated that Bill Russell, the greatest player in franchise history, was rushed to a hospital as he was dealing with “apparent heart issues.” At the time of the report, there was no indication of what exactly was wrong with the 84-year-old member of the Hall of Fame beyond the fact that he had “heart trouble and shortness of breath.”
But as time passed, TMZ was able to acquire some more information. It turns out that Russell checked into the hospital due to dehydration on Friday night, and while he was held overnight, the 11-time NBA champion checked out on Saturday. The news of Russell leaving the hospital came from the man himself, as Russell tweeted an update on his health that managed to lighten the mood.
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. On my way home & as most my friends know I don’t have a heart to give me trouble @NBA @celtics @TMZ @TMZLive @NBAonTNT @MSNBC @YahooSports
— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) May 19, 2018
Hopefully the fact that Russell managed to crack jokes about his wife and his friends means that his hospitalization was more of a precaution than a serious health scare. Regardless, all of us here at Dime are happy that Russell is out of the hospital after a brief overnight stay, because Bill Russell is the best.
