The city of Boston plans to honor NBA Hall of Famer and Celtics legend Bill Russell by renaming the North Washington Street Bridge after the civil rights activist, the city announced Friday.
Boston to rename the North Washington Street Bridge the William Felton “Bill” Russell Bridge
The North Washington Street Bridge will be renamed to the William Felton “Bill” Russell Bridge. The bridge has been under reconstruction since 2018 and work is set be completed in the spring, according to the city.
Connecting Charlestown and the North End, the 1,087-foot-long bridge spans across the Charles River.
A ceremony on Monday, Oct. 21 including Russell’s widow, Jeannine, past and present Celtics players, and mayor Michelle Wu will make the renaming official.
However, Wu says the renaming isn’t meant to honor his basketball legacy.
Instead, the city is paying tribute to his civil rights work. Russell united a racially divided city, and he became the first NBA player to visit Africa in 1959.
“The bridge renaming will honor his dedication to civil rights and the fostering of Boston’s youth and young athletes,” Wu’s office said.
Russell was known for standing up to racism. His father was once refused service at a gas station until the staff had taken care of all the White customers first.
In 1971, Russell staged a walkout during a game when a coffee shop in Lexington, Kentucky, refused to serve several of his Celtics teammates. Boston was scheduled to play the St. Louis Hawks.
Russell attended a civil rights march on Washington, D.C. with Martin Luther King Jr. in August 1963
Russell also marched with Martin Luther King Jr., and he attended the Cleveland Summit in 1967 to show support for Muhammad Ali after the boxer refused to enter the Vietnam War draft.
“I’m not worried about Muhammad Ali,” Russell said then. “He is better equipped than anyone I know to withstand the trials in store for him. What I’m worried about is the rest of us.”
An all-White jury convicted Ali of draft evasion, but the Supreme Court reversed that conviction in 1971.
Although Russell was supported by Celtics fans in Boston, residents at the time didn’t want him living in their neighborhoods. Fans often hurled racial slurs toward him and teammates.
Black players were segregated from their White colleagues at certain hotels while traveling for away games.
“For decades, Bill endured insults and vandalism, but never let it stop him from speaking up for what’s right,” President Barack Obama said after Russell’s death in 2022. “I learned so much from the way he played, the way he coached, and the way he lived his life.”
Obama awarded Russell with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
Russell won 11 NBA championships with the Celtics between 1956-69. His final three titles came when he was also Boston’s head coach. In 1966, Russell became the first Black head coach of any major U.S. sport.
Additionally, the 6-foot-10 center received 12 All-Star selections and won five MVPs across his 13-year career. The NBA Finals MVP award is also named after Russell.
His No. 6 was retired by all NBA teams after he passed away on July 31, 2022, at the age of 88.
