The City of Boston renamed the North Washington Street Bridge after Celtics legend Bill Russell at a special ceremony Monday, and one of the people in attendance was C's superstar Jaylen Brown.
The bridge's name has officially been changed to the "William Felton 'Bill' Russell Bridge".
"I think it's very fitting that a bridge is getting named after him because what a bridge does is bring people together," Brown said.
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Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons with the Celtics during the 1950s and 1960s. He won the last two titles in 1967-68 and 1968-69 as player/head coach. Even though Russell made a huge impact on the court as a Hall of Fame player, he made an even larger impact in the community as a Civil Rights hero who was always fighting for social justice. Russell died at the age of 88 in 2022.
"We're here to talk about the legacy of the great Bill Russell, not only what he did on the basketball floor and how many championships he won, but how many championships he won off the basketball floor," Brown said.
"The things he stood for in the community, the things with education. The things he stood for at that time, which is much harder than now. I can speak on and on about his resume, but his character, his demeanor and how he handled himself through adversity, I think that speaks volumes, especially in a time like today."
The Celtics have not repeated as NBA champions since Russell's final two seasons as a player. Brown and the Celtics will try to accomplish that feat this season, which begins Tuesday against the New York Knicks at TD Garden.
