The NBA has called Bill Russell the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics' dynasty of the 1960s, an uncanny shot blocker who revolutionized NBA defensive concepts. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 12-time All-Star, the angular center amassed 21,620 career rebounds, an average of 22.5 per game and led the league in rebounding four times. He had 51 boards in one game, 49 in two others and a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. His relationship to Boston, however, didn't carry quite the glory of his basketball career. Never one to mince words, he called the city a flea market of racism.

"It had all varieties, old and new, and in their most virulent form," Russell has said, "from corrupt, city hall-crony racists to brick-throwing, send-’em-back-to-Africa racists, and in the university areas phony radical-chic racists … Other than that, I liked the city.’’