Bill russel net worth: career, family, racism abuse, and death

By Twist On Apr 26, 2024

Bill Russel net worth was estimated to be around as of the time of his demise in 2022. The Hall of Famer was one of the most celebrated basketball players even after soo many years of retirement to the extent of his jersey being retired. We shall look at Bill Russel net worth in addition to his career, family, racism abuse, and death. I know you dying to read about one of the greatest of all-time NBA players, take your time and read carefully to the end.

Table of Contents

who is bill russel?

Bill Russel is a retired NBA player and coach who by dint of hard work and dedication had his name included in the books of one of the greatest of all-time players. With a lucrative career spanning over a decade, he hung up the boot and took to coaching. Russel’s contribution was also felt greatly in the US national team as he led them to win many tough matches.

profile

Real Name	William Felton Russell
Also known as	Bill Russel
Date of birth	February 12, 1934
Death	July 31, 2022 (aged 88)
Nationality	American
Occupation	Retired basketball player, Civil rights activist and coach
Parents	Charles Russell and Katie Russell
Partner	Rose Swisher(m;1956div;1973) Dorothy Anstett(1977-1980)Marilyn Nault(1996-2009) Jeannine Russell(2016-2022)
Children	Karen Russell, William Russel Jr. Jacob Russel
Instagram	realbillrussell
Net worth	$10 million

early life

Bill Russel was born in Louisana a city in the USA into a poverty-stricken family and also a family who were always humiliated because of their color. Despite his parents being financially handicapped, they strived hard to feed Bill and his siblings till his mother’s demise. The demise was a strong blow to him since his mother was very dear to his heart but later took solace in his dad who saw him through school.

career

Bill began his basketball journey at McClymonds High School but was met with high racial discrimination by white coaches who deemed him as surplus to join the squad. His coach George Powles was the only one who believed in him and motivated him to work very hard to fit in.

By dent of hard work and consistency, he caught the eye of Hal DeJulio a recruiter who gave him a scholarship to the University of Francisco. At USF he was privileged to work under a coach who gave everyone a chance to display basketball talent despite their color. Due to his fierce tackling and control over the ball, he won the heart of many who were marveled at his playing prowess. He was then given the captain position which he led the USF to compete in the NCAA championship and emerged as the most outstanding player of the tournament.

Bill signed his professional contract with Boston Celtics where he led them to win several top matches including winning 59 games in one particular season. After drawing the curtains in his playing career he was appointed as coach of the Celtics which was met with a lot of setbacks as he couldn’t lead his team to win tournaments as envisioned by the board and fans.

He later resigned from his coaching position citing reasons of losing interest and also wanting to try new challenges. His resignation didn’t go well with both fans and the team because they felt betrayed on how resold his retirement story. Bill later had stints with the Sacramento Kings from 1987 to 1988 and also worked briefly as a commentator in media space and also as an author.

Racial abuse

Bill was one of the most racially abused players during his time from his early days in high to Celtics. He was at a point dropped off the team due to his black and also had fans hurling insults at him during matches. After making a name for himself in the basketball space he decided to stand up against such acts which led to his house being defaced with racial inscriptions and excreta.

family

Bill a two-time divorcee was first married to Jeannine Russell with whom they lived together till his demise in 2022. His first marriage to Rose Swisher produced three children Karen Russell, William Russel Jr. Jacob Russel which ended in 1973. He then married Dorothy Anstett a former Miss USA winner in 1977 which also folded up after three years. Bill then remarried Marilyn Nault but was hit with the biggest blow of his life when she died in 2009.

He lived with Jeannine till his date in 2022.

death

He passed away on 31st June 2022 after a long battle with an undisclosed illness. His death was confirmed by his family spokesperson via social media which got millions of his followers sending in their condolences.