Boston is building a statue of Celtics legend and basketball Hall of Famer Bill Russell, a few months after President Obama suggested the city needed one. The Boston Celtics announced Wednesday the statue would be designed by a local artist, and commemorate Russell as a sports champion, human rights leader and youth mentoring advocate.
In a statement, Russell, 77, said he was “uncomfortable with honors such as this,” but added his years as captain of the Celtics “were the proudest moments of my career.” Russell led the Celtics to a record 11 league championships in 13 seasons.
Obama suggested Boston build a statue of Russell when he awarded him a Presidential Medal of Freedom in February. Obama said he hoped one day, children would look up to a statue “built not only to Bill Russell the player, but Bill Russell the man.”
Whether winning championships, watching Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech or teaching basketball to an integrated group of kids in Jackson, Miss., during a turbulent period for civil rights in 1963, Russell never considered himself a part of history. But he is the first person from the NBA to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
