Celtics host roundtable, exhibition game with formerly incarcerated people

There was a rumor floating around the Boston Celtics that the team was going to hold a game with prisoners that seemed just plausible enough to have us at the Celtics Wire reach out for confirmation. And while we did not hear anything back from the Celtics or other rumored parties, as outlandish as some might have thought the idea, it turns out to have been true, at least for the most part.

While the initial reports turned out to be off on several points, Boston did hold an event on Thursday that hosted what the team called “a transformational experience featuring an intimate roundtable discussion about hope and redemption with formerly incarcerated individuals, followed by a game coached by the 2022-23 roster featuring roundtable participants and our coaches.”

With Represent Justice, PLUS ONE, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), and Transformational Prison Project, Boston held the event to get the team familiar with what some in their community go through and to advocate for the “Raise The Age” bill currently in process with the state legislature.

“This reminds me of (Celtics great Bill Russell) and how active he was in the community,” related Grant Williams via the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn. “It makes you feel more comfortable … and more willing to be involved.

“I feel like it shines light on things players don’t necessarily get to see every day unless they’re directly affected. It’s something that strikes me immediately and it’s something that I want to be involved with.”

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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire