Give Bill Russell A Statue!
by Jeff Clark on Dec 1, 2010 7:27 AM EST
in Boston Celtics Articles
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This seems like a great idea to me.
Give Bill Russell a Damn Statue! - Boston Magazine
In Boston, we now have statues of three sports figures — Orr, Red Auerbach, and Ted Williams — sprinkled throughout the city. (Williams, oddly, also has a tunnel named after him.) That’s quite a list, actually. But there’s one glaring omission: the one sports star — no disrespect here to Teddy Ballgame or Tom Brady — who left a bigger mark on this city than any other. I’m talking about a guy who won 11 championships in 13 seasons. Whose name has become synonymous with victory, hard work, and shared sacrifice. I’m talking about Bill Russell.
I recommend reading the whole article. It is well done (as usual by Paul Flannery) and it even sounds like it could happen. The Celtics are open to the idea and the mayor's office would be supportive as well.
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yes, yes, and more yes -
some will say it’s a race issue
he’s done so much for basketball in general, boston, and african americans
what about a bobble head doll?
Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk
Why should sports stars get statues?
Why not, oh… great teachers? Or doctors? Or bus drivers and really good garbage collectors? What is it about being tall and good with a round ball that makes such people particularly deserving of praise… or even memory? Maybe those other statues were put up in flush times. Right now, I’d rather use that money for a homeless shelter, or food for the hungry…. heck, almost ANYTHING you can think of would be more useful than another damn statue.
We're way in the minority here, I'm sure, but I agree with you.
Boston is a sports-obsessed town and we already have an oversized emphasis on sports hero namings and statues. I suspect that behind this is as much a well-intended wish to give an African-American sports hero equal due. Perfectly understandable. But I’d argue that AA’s in Boston and elsewhere already are given sports figures as a disproportionate share of ‘their’ heroes to emulate. Better that we do more more substantive, whether increasing the practical openings to Boston-resident AAs in our skilled labor unions and/or organizing and funding more Boston schools chess tournaments or tickets to cultural events…or whatever.
Okay, okay. Now I’m even going to almost take back what I just wrote: wouldn’t it be great if a Bill Russell figure were to join Red on his bench? That, I’d love!
Not a _bad_ idea, but Russell was much more than just Red's best player.
Russell stands as his own man and so should his statue.
Well... I think you're barking up the wrong tree.
Where as I would agree to you that we probably shouldn’t idolize sports heroes like we do, you’re fighting a losing battle on that one.
Is it insane that players make millions of dollars to play a game they would, and many do, play for free? Yes. Are there far more noble professions which are much more vital to our way of life and society (police, doctors, teachers, etc…)? Absolutely.
Is it ever going to change? Highly doubt it.
And I’m sorry to break this too you, but if that money isn’t spend on a Bill Russell statue, I highly doubt it’d go to anything useful. Probably just be wasted on more bureaucratic nonsense.
Someone......somewhere.......
would do it for free……..it’s BILL RUSSELL…..nuff said.
Had me at the title
The article gets a little excessive with a “Celtics trinity,” but hard to disagree with the premise.
In fact, I think the NBA should consider getting behind a statue to Russell, who really does stand head and shoulders above all players as the League’s greatest winner.
by Thruthelookingglass on Dec 1, 2010 5:45 AM EST reply actions
Boston prefers not to "rush" into these things...
Russell has “only” been retired for 41 years, and will soon be 77 years old!
well
Russell also refused to let the team retire his number for a long time – and then only reluctantly
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
Russell`s #6 was retired in 1972...
However, Russell insisted that it be a private ceremony, in a virtually empty Boston Garden. Red was there, and just a handful of others.
In the late 1990`s, Russell softened his stance, and allowed a full public celebration in his honor.
If any sports figure deserves a statue...
It’s Bill Russell. But he would probably object.
by LuckyNumber07 on Dec 1, 2010 8:45 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Ab-so-lutely.
Though, really, Bill Russell is a statue unto himself. But a permanent one isn’t a bad idea.
Over the Monster -- SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Site
USG
Read the whole article.
I thought his reason was just because of Russell’s winning ways, but his argument was deep. And I do agree with it. The city and the man need a “closure” that is tangible enough.
"The idea is not to block every shot. The idea is to make your opponent believe that you might block every shot." - Bill Russell
I think it'd be cool if there was like a stretch of statues
And all of the greatest Celtics sort of get lined up next to one another…Like Russell, Cousy, Havlicek ,Bird, McHale, Parish, and Pierce…And it just sort of keeps growing.
Russell is the greatest of them all.
So let’s start there at least. But ya, that would be bad ass.
Agree 100%
Russel is is one of the greatest Celtic players of alltime.
He was also one of the biggest reasons the Celtic Dynasty was born since he was highly responsible for winning the 11 championships he helped the Celtics win.
If Ted Williams can have a tunnel named after him even though he never helped the Redsox win a title, I think Russel after helping the C’s win 11 titles and helping make the C’s the best franchise in the NBA deserves a statue at least.
My thoughts exactly...
Russell deserves every good thing that comes his way.
Rondo doesn't believe in easy buckets...
100% Agree.
I think he should be standing up behind Red at the bench in Faneuil hall, with his hands on his shoulders. Would be amazing…
Bill Russell
Never really thought about a statue for Bill Russell. He really doesn’t need one to remind us, not only of the the great basketball player he was, but also of what a great person he is.
I remember after the C’s won the Championship in ‘08, KG went up to Bill Russell in tears and hugged him. KG doesn’t call Russell “Bill”. He calls him “Mr. Russell”. That’s a kind of respect given the man by a player who just joined and embraced the Celtic Organization.
I think it would be nice to have a statue of Mr. Russell. He sure deserves it and I would love to hear his jokes and laugh when he speaks about it. But Bill Russell will always have a statue in the minds of real Boston Celtic Fans.
"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
"Criminally Negligent Officiating"--Tommy Heinsohn
The GREATEST player of all time
Greatest winner, defender, and teammate. He stood for so much, in the civil rights era in the 60’s. Brave. Sacrificed his individual talents to win all those titles. But when it counted, always delivered. Whatever his team needed, he did.
Game 7 1962 NBA finals. When his offense was needed scored 30pts and grabbed 40rebs to win the Championship against the Lakers.
Each word he says is worth a thousand thoughts. One of my favs is when he said “Success is a Journey, not a Destination”. Didn’t need the media, commercials or autographs to prove he was great. Didn’t even need the Hall of Fame. He knew it in his heart and thats all that matters. I know he may not want a statue erected, but he deserves it. LOVE you Russell!!
Very Well Said
Russ is a man of principle and no one ever could take that away from him. Russ is the definition of Celtic Pride and Tradition.
One of my favorite stories that I heard him tell, with Red sitting there, was what happened after he was named MVP (which Russ could have cared less about). Red came to him and told him that when he wanted to criticize the team he was going to direct his criticism at Russ because Russ was the best player on the team. Russ agreed, but after awhile he felt Red was overdoing it and was ready to “kill” him (Russell’s great laught). He said he gave Red an unlimited budget and Red exceeded it.
"I don't come to play, I come to WIN"--Larry Bird
"Criminally Negligent Officiating"--Tommy Heinsohn
Hahaha
I love hearing Russell speak and tell stories. “Russell exceeded it” hahahahaha. My favorite video of him is “Bill Russell Block art” on youtube. He’s like a walking metaphor lol
Satch Sanders said this about him:
“Russell had an attitude, and most people would just say a winning attitude but that doesn’t really describe it all. He thought he was the best defensive player that ever played. He also thought he was the best all-around player to play. And he thought that every team he plays on should win every single game. So that sort of permeated the entire team. How can we lose? We can’t lose. That was Russell’s Gift…”
Russell is the man
by OsirusCeltics on Dec 1, 2010 11:20 PM EST up reply actions
Jeff
Can you use this blog to get a grassroots campaign going to get this done?
by thereallargejames on Dec 1, 2010 12:09 PM EST reply actions
Folks, we have statues and memorials for Robert Gould Shaw, Emerson, Revere, and other Boston luminaries. And yes, as newcomers do great things for the nation, we’ll continue to add them.
Unfortunately, less famous teachers, engineers, etc, aren’t generally remembered outside of their professional societies so we can’t build one for let’s say DEC’s founder, Ken Olsen. That’s how things go, I’m sorry.
I don’t see a problem with letting Bill Russell have his visage immortalized in the hub along with Red, Williams, and Orr.
Russ
absolutely, should never have taken so long; god bless Mr Russell
Eh
I’m not a big fan of erecting a statue for somebody that put a ball in a hoop.
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