Published February 18, 2011

Imagine a Bill Russell statue in Boston. (Courtesy of Nate Morrow)

This morning, the Boston Herald reported it’s not a matter of if, but where. President Obama is calling on Boston to erect a monument to the legendary Bill Russell.

“I hope that one day, in the streets of Boston, children will look up at a statue built not only to Bill Russell the player, but Bill Russell the man,” the president said Tuesday, before presenting Russell with a Medal of Freedom.

Boston graphic designer and sports fan Nate Morrow (@nsmorrow) is taking the idea one step further: He mocked up a Russell statue in Photoshop.

Using Google Maps, Morrow found the perfect grassy spot in front of the Garden, over I-93. “I thought of the (Bobby) Orr statue, which went up last year outside the Garden,” he said. “So why not put a Celtic up near the Garden?”

The photo of Russell used in this mockup, by the way, is also on the Wheaties box.