The recent dedication of the “William Felton ‘Bill’ Russell Bridge” that connects Charlestown to the North End represents a fitting tribute to a wonderful man who not only was a sports legend, but who exemplified by the way he led his life the values of excellence, courage, strength, dignity, decency, and humility.
The beautiful new bridge replaces the decrepit No. Washington St. Bridge, a structure that was both an eyesore and a safety hazard, close by to the TD Boston Garden, the arena where Bill Russell led the Celtics to 11 NBA titles in 13 years in the 1950s and 60s, a dynasty that remains — and always will remain — unparallelled in the sports world.
For those of us who were Boston sports fans in our childhood while growing up in the 1960s (and who remember often walking across the old No. Washington St. Bridge en route from where the bus from Chelsea dropped us off at the old City Square station to our summer job in Government Center in the 1970s), there was only one real hero — and that was Bill Russell. Yes, we had Bobby Orr and Carl Yastrzemski, but Bill Russell stood out, not only by virtue of the number of championships he won, but also because he spoke out on the major issue of that time– civil rights — when others were too timid to do so.
The Celtics and Bill Russell were the epitome of success, especially in comparison to the other Boston sports teams of that era. However, even at our young age, there was something about Bill Russell that we recognized as transcending the typical athlete of that period.
We recall that when Bill Russell published his autobiographical memoir in the mid-60s, Go Up for Glory, we eagerly bought the paperback. It was one of the few (if any) books that we read outside of our required school reading.
We knew instinctively, even at our young age, that if Bill Russell had something to say, it would be important — and he did so in a straightforward and honest way that often was lacking in the turbulent era that was the 1960s (and remains so today).
The hippies proclaimed, “Don’t trust anyone over the age of 30,” but that did not apply to Bill Russell, who won his final NBA title as the Celtics’ player-coach in 1969 at the age of 35. Bill Russell’s honesty and integrity were unquestioned.
To paraphrase a popular TV commercial, “When Bill Russell spoke, people listened.”
Bill Russell was as elegant and graceful in his demeanor off the court as he was in his athleticism on the court. Just as his emphasis on defense, rebounding, and leading the fast break not only revolutionized the game of basketball, but also set the standard for the definition of selflessness and the concept of a team player, so too, did his truthful outspokenness on the subject of racism in America set a new standard in the sports world for elevating our national conversation about race and other social topics.
As we grew into adulthood, if we were hanging out with friends, whenever we might be playing the, “If you could have dinner with anyone famous, who would it be?” game, our answer always would be, “Bill Russell.” Bill Russell passed away in the summer of 2022 while the new bridge that now bears his name was still under construction. We know we speak for millions of past and present Boston sports fans in expressing our delight that a man who was a hero in every respect now will be honored forever in our city.