Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
From Pressley Associates, the design firm who along with local artist Ann Hirsch are collaborating on a statue and “plaza of champions” to honor Bill Russell, comes this great news:
The Bill Russell Legacy Project is under construction now on Boston’s City Hall Plaza http://t.co/ewnA1LspaY
— Pressley Associates (@PressleyInc) September 16, 2013
Behind efforts from everyone from President Barack Obama to Paul Flannery, fans, media & politicians alike all urged the city to build a statue to honor Russell. Finally, in May of 2011, it was announced that indeed a statue would be built, and a mentoring program would also be founded in Russell’s name. And as of yesterday, work had officially started on the southeast corner of Boston’s City Hall Plaza! From Pressley’s site:
Bill Russell is a former Boston Celtics Captain who led the team to a string of eleven championships in thirteen years. He was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player a total of five times. Only two other NBA players have achieved that honor. (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record with six MVP awards and Michael Jordan is tied with Bill Russell at 5.) Mr. Russell is the first African American to coach in any major league sport. He is also an impassioned advocate of human rights and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
The design of the Bill Russell Legacy Project aims to capture this vast array of achievements. A Plaza of Champions will be constructed within Boston’s City Hall Plaza. It will be located in the southeast corner of the existing City Hall Plaza, near the Congress Street overlook.
The Plaza of Champions creates an interactive landscape for visitors to engage themselves in the accomplishments and visionary leadership of Bill Russell. A field of brick will be installed that reflects the proportions of a basketball court. A larger-than-life statue of Bill Russell will stand atop one of eleven granite plinths, representing Mr. Russell’s eleven Celtics championships. Each of the plinths will be engraved with a quotation from Mr. Russell, along with a keyword that embodies the spirit of the quotation.
I have not yet heard of an official target date for the plaza to open, but as soon as one is announced, we’ll post it here on the site. I was literally so excited when I read this news last night that I wanted to run down to City Hall Plaza and look. However I’m more excited and happy for Paul Flannery. Not only did the SB Nation scribe just welcome his first child into the world, (congrats!) but now his other “baby” is in it’s final stages of becoming a reality. Check out the gallery below for some sketches/pictures of what the plaza and statue will look like when complete. For more details on the project, visit Pressley Associates.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston: Press(ey) play?| Hoopsworld: Updated Celtics Team Salary Page
Patch: Former Celtic Herren To Speak At Downer’s Grove|Celtics.com: Day Of Service (video)
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