Bill Russell is a giant in the pantheon of basketball, but his story goes far beyond the court. In addition to being one of the greatest and most respected American athletes and NBA players of all time, Russell was a civil rights icon whose work advocating for racial equity changed how athletes utilize their celebrity for good. The story of Russell’s domination in basketball is intertwined with his impact off the court, and the two-part documentary film Bill Russell: Legend tells the full story of his life, highlighting both his long career with the Boston Celtics and the activism that ultimately changed the sport forever. Check out the trailer above and this first-look clip, where Russell describes being invited to the March on Washington by MLK himself.

Director Sam Pollard, whose other work includes MLK/FBI and Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power, pieced together Russell’s story with a mix of sprawling personal archives, interviews with fellow NBA players and personal interviews with the man himself, captured before he passed away in 2022. Pollard says that striking a balance between telling the story of Russell’s career with the Boston Celtics and his presence and influence on the American civil rights movement was crucial to painting a full picture of Russell’s legacy.

“Without Bill Russell, there wouldn’t be any modern NBA today,” Pollard tells Tudum. “That’s the legacy he brought to the game. He created a new view of basketball that primarily had been a white-dominated game. And it changed the whole development and game and how it unfolded over the next decades. He wasn’t just a basketball player who just would shut up and play. He had a voice, he was active off the court about many issues and he wasn’t afraid to speak up and speak truth to power.”

Who is Bill Russell?

Russell was a former Boston Celtics player and American activist. He won 11 championships in 13 seasons, was a five-time NBA most valuable player, a 12-time NBA all-star and won gold in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

When does Bill Russell: Legend premiere?

The two-part film premieres on Netflix on Feb. 8.