William Felton Russell (Bill Russell) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969.
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A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 12-time NBA All-Star, Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.
Russell played in the wake of black pioneers Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Sweetwater Clifton, and he was the first black player to achieve superstar status in the NBA.
He also served a three-season (1966–69) stint as player-coach for the Celtics, becoming the first black coach in North American professional sports and the first to win a championship.
Bill Russell Cause of Death
Russell was born on February 12, 1934 and he died on July 31, 2022 aged 88. A cause of death was not given.
However, a statement by his family indicated that he died ‘peacefully.’
An announcement… pic.twitter.com/KMJ7pG4R5Z
— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) July 31, 2022
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Bill Russell Hall of Fame
Russell was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, was one of the founding inductees into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, and was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.
He was selected into the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971 and the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1980, named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, one of only four players to receive all three honors, and selected into the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
In 2009, the NBA renamed in his honor the NBA Finals’ Most Valuable Player trophy to the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.
In 2011, Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his accomplishments on the court and in the civil rights movement.
In 2021, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a second time for his coaching career.
Bill Russell Wife
Bill Russel was married four times; Marilyn Nault (m. 1996–2009), Dorothy Anstett (m. 1977–1980), Rose Swisher (m. 1956–1973). He was with his fourth wife Jeannine when he died.
Bill Russell Children
Bill Russell leaves behind his children; Jacob Russell, William Russell Jr. and Karen Russell.
Bill Russell Net Worth
At the time of death, Russell had an estimated net worth of $10 million.
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