The number 6 is permanently retired across the entire National Basketball Association in honor of legendary Boston Celtics center and civil rights icon Bill Russell, who passed away in 2022. The league made the unprecedented decision to retire his iconic number league-wide—similar to how Major League Baseball retired Jackie Robinson's number 42. While players who were already actively wearing the number 6 were granted a grandfathered exemption to continue using it, no new players entering the league can select the number 6 for their jersey.