Bill Russell statue unveiled in Boston

There were many people in Boston for today’s unveiling of a statue dedicated to Bill Russell.  The statue has been planned for a while, but it has officially been put up and is now open for all to see. The design was pretty well thought out if you ask me, and really is a tribute to Mr.Russell. According to Chris Forberg of ESPN,

"Local artist Ann Hirsch crafted the piece that also features 10 granite blocks surrounding Russell for a total of 11 elements (representing Russell’s 11 NBA championships). Each plinth features a word and corresponding quotation that highlight Russell’s accomplishments on and off the court."

The story of how Russell’s statue came to be is pretty interesting as well, as told by the article.

"When Mayor Menino called Russell to tell him about the city’s desire to craft a statue to him, Russell joked that he didn’t want it because statues remind him of tombstones. What’s more, he told Mayor Menino, pigeons tend to defecate on statues. Russell finally warmed to the idea when told it would incorporate his work with Boston’s mentoring program."

Aside from the statue, the Boston Celtics have yet another way of honoring Bill Russell; the team will honor him at the end of the first quarter on Friday night.