Celtics great helps children learn teamwork

Thanks to Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, Massachusetts children will soon be able to play in improved parks.

Russell helped open the second season of community partnership between the Celtics and utility company NStar at the State House yesterday. The partnership began in January 2000.

The partnership, which will sponsor Celtic basketball camps and park refurbishment, is a brainchild of Russell’s that aims to teach basketball skills and promote teamwork to the young people of communities served by NStar, Massachusetts’s largest investor-owned electric and gas utility.

Russell, whose role in the Celtics 11 championships in 13 years landed him a spot in the basketball Hall of Fame, said, “Playgrounds are a very important part of growing up. It is not only where I learned to play basketball but also where I leaned to make decisions and contributions to a team environment. … I learned a long time ago that I could not save the world, but I can try, and if things like this can change the life of one child, then I am for it 100 percent. These playgrounds do me honor and I am humbled by this opportunity.”

NStar Director of Public affairs Mark Reed and Boston Celtics CEO/CFO Rich Pond, along with legislators including Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford), joined Russell for the announcement.

Montigny said he is grateful for Russell’s efforts to “make basketball more affordable” in his district.

“NStar is pleased to continue our relationship with the Celtics — working together to help youngsters become better members of the community,” Reed said. “Our partnership promotes teamwork while bringing the excitement of professional basketball to children throughout NStar’s service area.”

This year’s projects, which do not yet have a building schedule, include basketball camps in Worcester, Chelsea, Mashie and New Bedford, as well as a refurbishment of a New Bedford basketball court.

One of the first initiatives of the Celtic-NStar partnership was the refurbishment and dedication of the “Bill Russell Courts” at Worcester’s Roberts Playground.

NStar plans to donate 400 tickets to youth groups in honor of Fan Appreciation Night on April 18, when the Celtics take on the Charlotte Hornets.

“We are extremely pleased with what we were able to achieve in the first year of this partnership and look forward to future success as we dedicate ourselves to improving local communities and the lives of our children,” Pond said. “I have a strong belief that what makes the Celtics special is what we do on and off the courts.”