Profile Text
Russell in 2011, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: William Felton Russell
Date of Birth: February 12, 1934
Place of Birth: Monroe, Louisiana, U.S.
Date of Death: July 31, 2022
Place of Death: Mercer Island, Washington, U.S.
Ethnicity: African-American
Bill Russell was an American professional basketball player, and coach. A center, he played thirteen seasons for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also coached the Boston Celtics, the Seattle SuperSonics, and the Sacramento Kings. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He was a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 12-time NBA All-Star, and the center of the Celtics dynasty, which won nineteen NBA championships during his career. He was 6’10”.
Bill was the son of Katie (King) and Charles/Charlie Louis Russell. His family moved to Oakland, California, during his childhood. Bill’s brother was playwright Charlie L. Russell.
He was married to Marilyn Nault, until her death, and then to Jeannine Russell, until his death. He had three children, including television pundit and lawyer Karen Russell, with his former wife Rose Swisher.
Bill’s paternal grandfather was named Jake/Jayson J. Russell. Jayson was born in Louisiana.
Bill’s paternal grandmother was named Matilda Barnes (the daughter of Mayd Barnes and Nannie Mason). Matilda was born in Louisiana.
Bill’s maternal grandfather was named Richard King. Richard was born in Georgia.
Bill’s maternal grandmother was Dona Jaggers (the daughter of Collins Jaggers and Amanda Nelson). Dona was born in Louisiana.
Sources: Genealogies of Bill Russell – https://www.geni.com https://www.findagrave.com
Obituary of Bill’s father – https://familysearch.org