Video: Bill Russell statue will be unveiled November 1st

According to the above video from the Boston Celtics official YouTube page, a new statue dedicated to Celtics great Bill Russell will be unveiled on November 1st in City Hall Plaza.

From Celtics.com:

BOSTON - A sculpture honoring William Felton “Bill” Russell designed by local Artist Ann Hirsch in collaboration with Pressley Associates and with the Boston Art Commission will be unveiled on Boston City Hall Plaza. A special ceremony to honor him emcee’d by TNT NBA Analyst Kenny Smith will include: Bill Russell- the Boston Celtics Legend himself, Bill Russell’s daughter Karen Kenyatta Russell, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Co-Owner, Managing Partner, and Shamrock Foundation President Stephen Pagliuca, Celtics Managing Partner, Governor, CEO and Co-Owner Wyc Grousbeck, Celtics Managing Partner and Co-owner Bob Epstein, Team President Rich Gotham, Congressman Joe Kennedy III, NBA Commissioner David Stern, NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver along with Arnold “Red” Auerbach’s daughters Randy and Nancy Auerbach Collins...

...The artwork represents Bill Russell the whole man, honoring him as an athlete, coach, human rights activist, ground breaker and mentor. The larger than life sculpture of Russell is on a low base in game action, poised with basketball in hand about to pass the ball to a teammate. He aims towards a low-standing, open stone engraved with Mr. Russell's quote, "The most important measure of how good a game I'd played was how much better I'd made my teammates play." As visitors step up on the open base, ready to catch the pass, they become a teammate, not only in the game of basketball, but in continued advocacy for human rights and mentorship programming. Ten granite blocks, surround Russell for a total of 11 elements representing Mr. Russell’s 11 championships with the Boston Celtics. Each plinth features a key word and a corresponding quotation to illuminate the myriad of accomplishments spanning Mr. Russell’s career both on and off the court. The artwork is inscribed in a field of brick and granite pavers that reflect the proportions of a court.

So this statue goes far beyond just representing Russell himself, it extends to everything he did for his teammates, his city, and as a human rights advocate. Pretty cool.

For more information on this project and the Bill Russell Legacy Foundation, visit www.billrusselllegacy.org.