Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell was released from the hospital Saturday after an overnight stay for an unspecified reason, he confirmed on Twitter.
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
According to TMZ, Russell, 84, reportedly was taken by ambulance from his home in the Seattle area to a nearby hospital. A representative for Russell told TMZ on Saturday that it was due to dehydration.
Russell later posted a follow-up tweet that included a photo of him holding a glass of water. He indicated that he was OK and ready for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Back home got my water getting ready for the #CelticsVsCavs Go get a win @celtics @celticslife @nbcsports @si @espn @twittersports #CUsRise @thescore @tmzsports @bleacherreport Thank You again to everyone for the well wishes strange to read them when ur still alive! @NBA @msnbc pic.twitter.com/D030VhOWvd
— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) May 19, 2018
Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens was relieved to hear that Russell was all right.
"Yeah, that was obviously scary news, and happy to hear that he's doing better and he's been released from the hospital,'' Stevens said in Cleveland before Game 3 against the Cavaliers. "He's the ultimate basketball winner. The way he impacted winning, the unselfishness of a teammate, what he stood for off the floor -- everything about him. It's an honor to get a chance to work for the Celtics.
"Those teams and those people from those teams -- and obviously Bill Russell being one of those main people in Celtics history -- are why it's an honor to work for them because of the bar they set for all of us.''
Russell was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, was an 11-time NBA champion with the Celtics and won five NBA MVP awards.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
