Bill Russell

The design for a statue of Boston Celtics great Bill Russell has been unveiled. The statue scheduled to be placed on City Hall Plaza next year will feature Russell in uniform with his arm around a youth, reflecting his dedication to mentoring youngsters. Sculptor Antonio Tobias Mendez and architect Matthew Oudens were chosen to design and build the statue. In conjunction with the statue, The Boston Celtics charitable arm will create a mentoring grant program in Russell's name.

An artistic team has been chosen to create the statue of Celtics legend Bill Russell that is slated to be installed next year in Boston's City Hall Plaza, city and team officials announced Monday. Sculptor Antonio Tobias Mendez and architect Matthew Oudens will design and build the statue and accompanying pieces that President Obama had suggested should be put up to honor Russell, who was known for his prowess on the basketball court as well as his adamant support of civil rights.

Here's a shot of Bill Russell in the Red Sox dugout before the game chatting with Terry Francona. Mr. Russell is leaning on a bat. He also spent some time talking to Dustin Pedroia and Darnell McDonald.

The design for a statue of Boston Celtics great Bill Russell has been unveiled. The statue scheduled to be placed on City Hall Plaza next year will feature Russell in uniform with his arm around a youth, reflecting his dedication to mentoring youngsters. Sculptor Antonio Tobias Mendez and architect Matthew Oudens were chosen to design and build the statue. In conjunction with the statue, The Boston Celtics charitable arm will create a mentoring grant program in Russell's name.

Eleven days. Five games played. And already the kid is a cult hero. How long before they name the New Boston Garden after Greg Stiemsma? He's the new Brian Scalabrine. He's the new Greg Kite. He's the new Kevin McHale. He's the new (gulp) Bill Russell? Stiemsma has heard it all. Not bad for a guy who most recently played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League. Not bad for an undrafted center who averaged a whopping 3.5 points per game in his senior season at Wisconsin, a 26-year-old NBA rookie who played last season for Telekom Ankara in Turkey.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff CAP CANA, Dominican Republic — Bobby Valentine is sure making the most out of his quick trip here. The new manager of the Red Sox just spent an hour engrossed in a conversation with Celtics legend Bill Russell. Valentine said they talked about "leadership, life, everything. " "Unbelievable," Valentine said. "The greatest winner ever. What a thrill. " Valentine then hugged David Ortiz as the party was breaking up. The two are expected to meet tomorrow before Valentine leaves.

By Laura Nelson, Globe Correspondent The statue honoring Boston Celtics center Bill Russell will be installed in City Hall Plaza, Mayor Menino announced today. Three artists will be competing for the right to design the statute for Russell, who was one of the Celtics’ all-time great players and a widely respected civil rights activist. The artists are Fern Cunningham, Ann Hirsch, and Antonio Tobias Mendez. The winning design will be unveiled in spring 2012.

A site has been chosen for the statue of Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell and the location will be announced today by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, a team spokeswoman said yesterday. The mayor will be joined by Celtics co-owner Stephen Pagliuca and members of the Bill Russell Legacy Project Committee in detailing plans for a tribute to the NBA Hall of Famer. In February, President Obama presented Russell, who won 11 NBA titles with the Celtics as a player and a coach, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in honor of his civil rights advocacy.

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff SEATTLE — Marco Scutaro also has a stiff back and now Mike Aviles is playing third base with Jed Lowrie moving to shortstop. Meanwhile, the great Bill Russell was in the game visiting with Terry Francona. Russell lives in this area. Mayor Tom Menino — apparently en route to Alaska — also was hanging out.

LOS ANGELES — The Celtics have history on their side. . . . And not much else. Your Green Team was thrashed by the Lakers at Staples Center last night. Playing with none of the urgency and thunder that marked the final two games in Boston, the Celtics were Dropkick Murphyed in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, 89-67. So now it comes down to a seventh game, on the road, against the West Coast brothers who seem to have been put on this earth to provide the Celtics with a measure of greatness.

As great as Kevin Garnett is, he's no Bill Russell - and he seems to know it. At halftime of the Celts' game against the Orlando Magic the other night, the C's 1961-'62 team was honored on the 50th anniversary of its championship. Not only did KG graciously applaud Russell, but he also bowed to the legendary big man several times. Celebrated along with Russell were teammates Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Frank Ramsey, Tom "Satch" Sanders, Sam Jones, and Jim Loscutoff.

Politics, the writer Gore Vidal once reminded us, is made up of two words: "'Poli,' which is Greek for 'many,' and 'tics,' which are bloodsucking insects. " What was implied was also true — that those same darn pests turn up year after year. Now that the weather is warming up and this current election cycle is heating up, one of Vidal's timeless pieces of writing is buzzing once again. His 1960 play about rival presidential candidates, "The Best Man," opened Sunday at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, sadly proving the writer astonishingly prescient.

NEW ORLEANS - The gold standard remains the mind-boggling precision of UCLA center Bill Walton in the NCAA championship game against Memphis in 1973, when Walton scored 44 points on 21 of 22 shots and grabbed 13 rebounds in leading the Bruins to an 87-66 victory. Kentucky's Jack Givens was almost as spectacular five years later when he poured in 41 points in the Wildcats' 94-88 victory over Duke for the national championship. And you can include Steve Alford's 23-point effort - including 7 of 10 from 3-point land - which was instrumental in Indiana's...

Eleven days. Five games played. And already the kid is a cult hero. How long before they name the New Boston Garden after Greg Stiemsma? He's the new Brian Scalabrine. He's the new Greg Kite. He's the new Kevin McHale. He's the new (gulp) Bill Russell? Stiemsma has heard it all. Not bad for a guy who most recently played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League. Not bad for an undrafted center who averaged a whopping 3.5 points per game in his senior season at Wisconsin, a 26-year-old NBA rookie who played last season for Telekom Ankara in Turkey.

Eleven days. Five games played. And already the kid is a cult hero. How long before they name the New Boston Garden after Greg Stiemsma? He's the new Brian Scalabrine. He's the new Greg Kite. He's the new Kevin McHale. He's the new (gulp) Bill Russell? Stiemsma has heard it all. Not bad for a guy who most recently played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League. Not bad for an undrafted center who averaged a whopping 3.5 points per game in his senior season at Wisconsin, a 26-year-old NBA rookie who played last season for Telekom Ankara in...

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff CAP CANA, Dominican Republic — Bobby Valentine is sure making the most out of his quick trip here. The new manager of the Red Sox just spent an hour engrossed in a conversation with Celtics legend Bill Russell. Valentine said they talked about "leadership, life, everything. " "Unbelievable," Valentine said. "The greatest winner ever. What a thrill. " Valentine then hugged David Ortiz as the party was breaking up. The two are expected to meet tomorrow before Valentine leaves.

Before everybody gets too sockless over the double Boilermaker ordered up by the Celtics on draft night -- and, as some people have told This Blog, drafts are essential to the construction of boilermakers. It, of course, would have no first-hand knowledge of this. -- it's helpful to remember that the Celtics historically do quite well when drafting young players who played together in college. To wit: John Havlicek and Larry Siegfried (Ohio State). Bill Russell and K.C. Jones (University of San Francisco)

As great as Kevin Garnett is, he's no Bill Russell - and he seems to know it. At halftime of the Celts' game against the Orlando Magic the other night, the C's 1961-'62 team was honored on the 50th anniversary of its championship. Not only did KG graciously applaud Russell, but he also bowed to the legendary big man several times. Celebrated along with Russell were teammates Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Frank Ramsey, Tom "Satch" Sanders, Sam Jones, and Jim Loscutoff.

Ed Macauley, one of the NBA's first big stars who won a championship with the St. Louis Hawks and was traded by the Boston Celtics for Bill Russell, has died. He was 83. Saint Louis University announced Macauley's death on Tuesday. The school had no other details. "Easy Ed" was a standout player with the Billikens, leading them to the 1948 NIT title. Macauley was elected to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1960. A native of St. Louis, he was a territorial pick of that city's Basketball Association of America franchise, the Bombers.