Boston to Build Long Overdue Statue for Bill Russell
Celtics legend Bill Russell
In
a town with a history loaded with heroes, legends and giants, paying
homage to each deserving demigod is a tall task. In that same town with a
horrendous history besmirched with racial conflicts and prejudice
practices, it is never to late for redemption. Such is Boston; a city
that can hold its head high on its heroes and hide its face from the
shame of yesteryear at the same time.
But the newest monument in making is for a true champion. The
City of Boston has announced that a location at City Hall Plaza has
been selected for the long-overdue statue of Bill Russell. Mayor
Thomas Menino, Celtics Managing Partner/Co-owner and President of the
Shamrock Foundation Stephen Pagliuca, and members of the Bill Russell
Legacy Committee announced the news at an early morning press conference
Monday on the expected location on the south side near State Street.
The committee noted the site's proximity to the historic Freedom Trail
and the tourist infested Faneuil Hall as a prime reason for selecting
the location.
On
the one hand, Bostonians can be grateful that steps are being taken to
repair the image of Government Center, an area that is the sight one of
the ugliest buildings ever constructed in the history of cement. But
most importantly, this statue will show a city's gratitude to an
other-worldy athlete and a colossal figure in civil rights. The Shamrock
Foundation has raised a substantial amount of money to fund the project
through private fundraising but it will be open to public donations
once the final designs are unveiled in October. Three local artists, Fern Cunningham, creator of the Monument to Harriett Tubman in the South End; Antonio Mendez, whose work includes the player statues outside Fenway Park; and Ann Hirsch, a local artist based in Somerville, have been selected to design the statue.
Many of our readers weren't even an idea back in 1956, so let's recap Russell's resume:
When
considering the word champion, Bill Russell should be at the forefront.
Russell holds more championship rings than he has fingers, a grand
total of 11 throughout a 13 year career in the NBA. That covers the
1957, ‘59, ‘60, ‘61, ‘62, ‘63, ‘64, ‘65, ‘66,'68 and ‘69 seasons all in
Celtic green. He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as
the captain of the U.S. national basketball team. Pause, digest and
consider that Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar both have 6 rings,
Kobe Bryant has 5, and LeBron James has none. To find an athlete as
equally decorated as Russell, we have to turn to the NHL's Henri Richard
of the Montreal Canadiens, who also boasts 13 championships under his
belt.
Russell
was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2011
to ad to his list of shiny achievements. Obama suggested that Boston
build a statue "not only to Bill Russell the player but Bill Russell the
man." The expected date of the statue's completion is set for next
spring.
Standing
at 6'9'', Russell tallied 14,522 points throughout his career and lead
the NBA in rebounds four times with a grand total of 21,620. He and Wilt
Chamberlain are the only two men to ever grab more than 50 rebounds in a
single game. From 1966 to 1969, Russell served as a player-coach,
making him the first ever African American coach in the NBA. Are you
still sitting? Is your head not spinning? Here was an African American
at superstar status while battling shotty journalists and boisterous
fans during a time when racism was in style.
Boston
was no exception to this social trend. Russell had made it clear that
Boston was "a flea market of racism." In his autobiography, Second Wind: The Memoirs of an Opinionated Man, Russell
goes so far as to say, "I had never been in a city more involved with
finding new ways to dismiss, ignore or look down on other people. Other
than that, I liked the city." Russell's tenure in Boston was facilitated
by the legendary coach, Red Auerbach, whose statue can be found in
Faneuil Hall and whose legacy as an anti-racist served as a cornerstone
of his legendary coaching career. Russell was so appalled by the racism
he endured throughout his career, he was not present when his number 6
retired into the rafters in 1972 nor when he was inducted into the Hall
of Fame in 1975.
However, reconciliation was not far off. On May 6, 1999, Russell's
number was re-retired in front of a sell out crowd at the FleetCenter.
The prolonged standing ovation brought tears to the eyes of a giant. Since then, he acted as a spiritual mentor to Celtics big man, Kevin Garnett during the 2008 championship run
and has commented on the changes Boston has undergone. While nothing
can erase the ugly truth of bigotry in Boston's past, the Bill Russell
statue will honor a man who battled adversity and achieved, setting a
standard for generations of sports fans and advocates of evolving social
values alike.