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Bill Russell was an American professional basketball player and civil rights activist. Additionally, Bill Russell played center for the Boston Celtics in the NBA from 1956 to 1969 and was a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and 12-time NBA All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA Championships.
Early life
William Felton Russell, better known as Bill Russell, was born in February 12, 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana, United States of America. At the age of 89 years, died and has American nationality. Furthermore, she has the birth sign of Aquarius and believes in Christianity.
He is the son of Charles Russell (father) and Katie Russell (mother). Furthermore, he grew up in an area where there was racial discrimination and his family frequently experienced widespread acts of racism. He grew up poor and had a difficult childhood. When he was only twelve years old, his mother died.
Bill Russell – Educational Background
Talking about his academic career, he attended McClymonds High School and started playing basketball there. George Powles, his coach, encouraged him to improve his talents and become a good player. He received a scholarship from the University of San Francisco (USF). He was happy to get this scholarship because it allowed him to escape a life of poverty and racism.
Additionally, he had success at USF under coach Phil Woolpert, who helped him develop his defensive technique. He became the focal point of a USF team that became a formidable college basketball team.
Death
Sadly, he died at his home on Mercer Island, Washington, on July 31, 2022, at the age of 88. The cause of his death is natural due to old age.
Bill Russell – Career and professional life
Bill Russell was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the 1956 NBA Draft for his defensive toughness and rebounding abilities. He was named captain of the United States national basketball team that competed in the 1956 Summer Olympics and also helped the team win a gold medal. In December 1956 he began playing for the Celtics in the 1956-1957 season.
He appeared in 48 games and averaged 14.7 points and 19.6 rebounds per game. The Celtics were already a high-scoring team, but Russell’s emergence accentuated their strengths. In his first NBA playoff game against the Syracuse Nationals in 1957, he scored 16 points, 31 rebounds and 7 blocks.
Caption: Bill Russell during a basketball game (Source: The New Yorker)
The Celtics defeated the Nationals 108-89 and swept them in three games. At the beginning of the 1957-1958 season, the Celtics won 14 games in a row. He received the NBA Most Valuable Player award that season. In the 1958-59 season, he continued his incredible play, averaging 16.7 points and 23.0 rebounds per game. The Celtics’ 52 wins set a league record.
In November 1959, the Celtics faced the Philadelphia Warriors. Since both Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell were prominent centers, the game was primarily seen as a competition between them. By a score of 115-106, the Celtics won. He led his team to a 57-22 record in the 1960-61 season with averages of 16.9 points and 23.9 rebounds per game.
The Celtics became the first team to win 60 games in a season the following year, and he was once again selected as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. During the 1963-1964 season, he averaged 24.7 rebounds and 15.0 points per game. He continued to perform well during the 1964-1965 season, helping the Celtics win a league-high 62 games.
Coaching career another work.
Celtics coach Red Auerbach left his position before the 1966-1967 season. He was allowed to work as a players’ coach, which he accepted, making him the first NBA coach of African-American descent. Furthermore, he was aging and worn out, and during the 1967-1968 season, his numbers gradually worsened. He continued to average 12.5 points and 18.6 rebounds per game.
At the age of 35 his playing career was over. After retiring, he worked as head coach of the Sacramento Kings from 1987 to 1988 and the Seattle SuperSonics from 1973 to 1977. Bill Russell joined NBA on ABC in 1971 and provided commentary for Game of the Week. Throughout the 1970s and into the mid-1980s, he worked as a color commentator for CBS and TBS, became a vegetarian, and learned to play golf. However, the transmission was uncomfortable for him.
He hosted Saturday Night Live on November 3, 1979 and also participated in several sports-related sketches. Additionally, he wrote books, usually in collaboration with a published author, such as 1979’s Second Wind, and appeared as Judge Roger Ferguson in the Miami Vice episode “The Fix” (aired March 7, 1986).
Bill Russell – Awards
He was one of the most successful basketball players to ever play in the United States. In 13 seasons as a player for the Boston Celtics, he won 11 NBA titles. He was the first NBA player to average more than 20 rebounds per game for an entire season and only the second player to achieve 51 rebounds in a single game.
He was named to the All-NBA First Teams three times and received five MVP honors during the regular season. Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 in honor of his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement both on and off the field.
Caption: Bill Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 in honor of his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, both on and off the court, from former US President Barack Obama (Source: Obama White House Archives )
Net worth 2024
At the time of his death, Bill’s net worth was estimated to be around $10 million. Apart from that, there is no other information about the earnings and income of him.
civil status
Bill Russell was married three times in his life. First, he married his college sweetheart, Rose Swisher, in 1956. With the marriage, the couple has three children; his daughter Karen Russell, a television expert and lawyer, and his sons William Jr. and Jacob. However, the couple divorced in 1973.
After that, he married Dorothy Anstett, a white woman who was once Miss America, in 1977. They divorced in 1980, ending their brief marriage. Marilyn Nault was his wife from his third marriage, which lasted until 2009. However, Jeannine Russell and Bill married in 2018 when he was 84 years old.
Bill is 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs around 100 kg. Furthermore, he has white hair with brown eyes and there is no other information about the other body measurements of him.
Subtitle: Bill Russell playing golf (Source: Golfweek – USA Today)
For the moment, Bill is no longer in this world. Due to this, he is not present on social networks such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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Source: vcmp.edu.vn