There’s no doubt about it that Bill Russell is a Boston and basketball icon. Without him, we may never have seen players like Michael Jordan, Shaq, Reggie Lewis, or Kobe on the court. He battled discrimination from his own fans, giving black players the opportunity to be appreciated and respected. He had an outstanding career and won 11 rings, an untouchable NBA record. He played while coaching the team between 1966 and 1969 before retiring. He made the NBA’s 25th, 35th, 50th and 75th anniversary teams, showing how long his legacy has been standing even in the quickly evolving modern day game. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975 and was given an NBA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. His number 6 has been retired by the Celtics. 

After his tremendous life and career, his signature deserves to be placed on the floor at the TD Garden with Red Auerbach’s, who drafted Bill and went onto coach him to 9 championships.