Sports legends die this week

Two of the biggest sports legends passed away this week, first basketball great Bill Russell and on Tuesday the Dodger family lost Vin Scully. Both icons lived long and extraordinary lives. Russell died at the age of 89 and Scully at 94.

A lot of people say that Russell was the greatest basketball player of all time, not Michael Jordan and not LeBron James but my wife, Linda told me they were all the greatest of their time. I have to agreed with her.

Russell won 11 NBA titles in 13 years but there were only eight NBA teams during the time that he played. Jordan won six titles and James three. The great Wilt Chamberlain won only two titles so winning championships is not the best way to evaluate talent, but Russell was special. The way he played defense grabbed rebounds and blocked shots put him special category of NBA greats.

Scully was part of a one-two broadcasting punch that called Los Angeles their home. Scully and the Lakers Chick Hearn were simply the best the broadcast world has ever known. It's hard to say who was better but if you were a kid growing up in Los Angeles in the 1950's and 1960's you will always remember; "It's a high drive to deep center field, back goes Mays, a way back, to the wall, it's gone." And so is Vin Scully.