Bridge in Boston renamed after Celtics legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell

(WJAR) — A bridge in Boston has been renamed after basketball legend and civil rights activist Bill Russell.

Russell is one of the most celebrated members in the history of the Boston Celtics organization, and on Monday his contributions on and off the field were recognized by having his name adorn a bridge in the city that reflects his greatness.

“We are here for a reason because Bill Russell played a role in building something that we continue to believe in,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “Whether it is the center of a decades-long dynasty that has inspired generations of athletes. Or we can advocate for racial justice and lay the foundation for the advancement of our youth.”

Bill Russell died in 2022 at the age of 88.

He won 11 of the Boston Celtics' 18 championships, but when he died, it was his courage to speak out against discrimination that earned him the highest reviews.

This included the boycott of a 1961 Boston Celtics exhibition game in Lexington, Kentucky, after black players were denied service because of their race.

Two years later he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Washington DC.

Decades later, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2011.

Wu remembers that when he died, people brought flowers to a statue of him that stands in front of Boston City Hall.

“It showed a little of the remarkable influence he had on so many and continues to have on how we think about our lives, how we think about what is possible and how we think about what is right,” Wu said . “Bill Russell showed us on and off the field that we must reckon with our past to create a better future. He knew he had a platform and he used it to advocate for a better world.”

A sign was unveiled Monday that officially gave the name as “William Felton “Bill” Russell Bridge.”