The NBA on Thursday announced that it will be retiring the No. 6 jersey league-wide in honor of Bill Russell, who died July 31 at the age of 88.

"Bill Russell's unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill's transcendent career will always be recognized."

Russell is the greatest winner in the history of the NBA. In his 13 seasons, his team won the NBA Finals 11 times, with eight of them coming in consecutive seasons. He made the Finals in all but one season.