| Celebrated Name: | Bill Russell |
| Real Name/Full Name: | William Felton Russell |
| Gender: | Male |
| Age: | 87 years old |
| Birth Date: | 12 February 1934 |
| Birth Place: | Monroe, Louisiana, USA |
| Nationality: | American |
| Height: | 2.08m |
| Weight: | 98 kg |
| Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Wife/Spouse (Name): | Rose Swisher (m. 1956–1973), Dorothy Anstett (m. 1977–1980), Marilyn Nault (m. 1996–2009), Jeannine Russell (m. 2019) |
| Children/Kids (Son and Daughter): | Yes (Karen Russell, William Russell Jr., and Jacob Russell) |
| Dating/Girlfriend (Name): | N/A |
| Is Bill Russell Gay?: | No |
| Profession: | Basketball player |
| Salary: | N/A |
| Net Worth in 2024: | $10 Million |
| Last Updated: | December 2024 |
Born on February 12, 1934, William Felton Russell was a former basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the first African-American player to have gained superstar status.
Russell also had nicknames like “Bill,” “Mr. 11 Rings,” and “The Secretary of Defense.” Russell captained the gold-medal-winning US National Basketball Team at the 1956 Olympic Games. Russell also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama for his contributions to the court and to the Civil Rights Movement.
Maybe you know Bill Russell very well, but do you know how old and tall he is and what his net worth in 2024? If you do not know, we have prepared this article about details of Bill Russell’s short biography-wiki, career, professional life, personal life, today’s net worth, age, height, weight, and more facts. Well, if you’re ready, let’s start.
Early Life & Biography
Bill Russell was born on 12 February 1934. His father was Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana. When Russell was eight years old, his family moved to Oakland, California. Charles Russell was initially a janitor in a paper factory, and when World War II broke out, he became a truck driver.
Unfortunately, Russell’s father died when he was only 12 years old. Russell’s childhood hero was his father, and he admired him later he followed George Mikan, whom he met when he was in high school. Mikan used to say about Russell that “Let’s face it, he’s the best ever. He’s so good, and he scares you.”
Initially, Russell struggled to develop skills as a basketball player. However, his coach George Powles encouraged him to work on his fundamentals. Russell then began to excel when he was in junior and senior years at the high school state championships.
Personal Life
Russell was married to his college girlfriend Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973, they had three children but then grew apart and divorced in 1977. He married Dorothy Anstett, Miss USA, in 1968, but divorced in 1980. The relationship was broken apart in controversy because of Anstett’s color. In 1996 Russell married his third wife, Marilyn Nault. In January 2009, she died, and then in July 2019, Russell married Jeannine Russell. He has been living in Washington for the last four decades.
In 1959, Russell became the first NBA player to visit Africa. On October 16, 2013, Russell was arrested for bringing a loaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Russell became the first NBA player to earn $100,000 in salary, which is the same as $600,000 in 2024.
Russell always wanted to win, and in many games, he became so tense that he used to vomit in the locker room in the early hours of his career. His teammates used to worry that it did not happen before the game.
Age, Height, and Weight
Being born on 12 February 1934, Bill Russell is 87 years old as of today’s date 17th December 2024. He is 2.08 m tall and weighs 98 kg.
Career
Before Russell’s NBA rookie year, Russell was the caption of the U.S. national basketball team that went to the 1956 Summer Olympics. Russell had the option to skip the tournament and contribute for a full season for the Celtics, but he was determined to play in the Olympics. Russell helped his national team win a gold medal against the Soviet Union 89-55 at the finals of the Olympics.
After playing in the Olympics, Russell returned to play for the Celtics, and at that time, the Celtics lacked in the group of defense, which was fulfilled by the return of Bill Russell. In 1966, Bill Russell agreed to be the head coach of the Boston Celtics. Thus Russell initialized as the first black head coach in NBA history. Russell’s No. 6 jersey was retired by the Celtics on March 12, 1972. Russell has always worn a jersey with No. 6 from the University of San Francisco as well as in the 1956 USA Olympic Team.
Awards & Achievements
Russell has won many awards since he was one of the best in his career.
Russell has won 11 NBA championships.
Russell won the gold medal at the 1956 Olympics.
He was the first black NBA coach.
Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama.
League MVP five times.
Net Worth & Salary of Bill Russell in 2024
Russell was one of the biggest earners in the NBA. His contract was worth $24,000, which was near the highest at $25,000. The salary of Russell was $100,000, which is equivalent to today’s $600,000. Russell was one of the highest-paid basketball players of his time. Russell is the first African-American player to have gained superstar status. Bill Russell had a net worth $10 Million as of December 2024. He is one of the greatest players of the Boston Celtics in NBA history.
Bill Russell is one of the best players in the history of basketball; in NBA, he was ignored early in his career because of his race, but later, when he was selected, he proved his ability to play basketball and helped his team many times to win the game. Russell has secured many awards and achievements to his name and is also on the Hall of Fame NBA list.