NBA legend Bill Russell auctioning memorabilia

Boston Celtics legend and Hall of Fame center Bill Russell announced Thursday he will auction hundreds of items of memorabilia, including two of his record 11 NBA championship rings.

"There are a few pictures I'll keep for myself, but the rest I will share with the world," Russell, 87, said in a video statement.

Hunt Auctions of Exton, Pa., will conduct the sale, tentatively scheduled to take place in Boston this fall or winter.

A portion of the proceeds will go to the Boston-based nonprofit MENTOR, a youth mentoring program that Russell co-founded more than three decades ago.

In addition to Russell's first (1957) and last (1969) championship rings, auction items will include four of his five NBA Most Valuable Player trophies and his men's basketball gold medal from the 1956 Olympic Games.

A 12-time All-Star, Russell averaged 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds over 13 seasons with the Celtics. He was first inducted to the Hall of Fame as a player in 1975, then again as a coach in 2021.