Reporters aren’t in awe of subjects we cover, except when it’s someone like Bill Russell

Bill Russell roared with a deep voice and cackled in a high pitch. Gosh, he cackled, often at something he said at the expense of himself.

It was always a joy to hear Russell laugh after he finished telling a story. Everyone around him had a smile, wanting to hear every last word he had to say.

Russell died on Sunday at 88 years old, and what a life he lived: 11-time NBA champion, five-time MVP and an influential voice on social and racial issues, rising from modest beginnings to one of the most celebrated and respected athletes in history.

I won’t pretend and say I knew Russell. But I had the opportunity to spend time around him – in Washington DC the day before he received the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2011, at various All-Star Games and a few times, we talked on the phone.

I know someone who was close to Russell, and if I needed Russell for something (and it better be for something big), there was always a good chance I could talk to him.

It was not only my treat, it was an honor. In this business, you’re never in awe of the people you interview. You are doing a job.

With Russell, it was different. I never covered him as a player (I was a year from birth in his final NBA season) or as a coach or executive.

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I couldn’t help but be in awe because of who Russell is and what he represents – a team-first champion with a courageous social conscience. There’s not many times in a sportswriter’s life where you get to spend time with a person like Russell who was a big part of NBA and U.S. history.

By the time I started…