July 31, 2022 (age 88, Mercer Island, Washington, undisclosed causes) Active (Basketball) 1956-1969. [20] Russell was closer to his mother Katie than to his father,[20] and he received a major emotional blow when she suddenly died when he was 12 years old. | This forced the NCAA to introduce rule changes to the college game like widening the lane ahead of his junior year and the prohibition of basket interference following his graduation. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Savannah Guthrie Lists Stunning NYC Family Condo for $7 Million See Inside! In a statement, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that Russell was "the greatest champion in all of team sports". When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. NBA icon Bill Russell is asking $2.6 million for his Mercer Island home outside Seattle, where he coached the SuperSonics in the 1970s. [59], At the start of the 195758 NBA season, the Celtics won fourteen straight games and continued to succeed. [65] Many observers thought that Boston could have won had Russell not been injured, but Auerbach commented: "You can always look for excuses We just got beat. [103], In Game 7, 15,202 Philadelphia fans witnessed a home-team 10096 defeat, making it the first time in NBA history a team lost a series after leading 31. But for all the winning, Bills understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life. NBA legend Bill Russell will be parting ways with his home on Mercer Island. Russell would later find himself drafted by the Celtics in 1956 after a game-changing draft night trade that saw coaching great Red Auerbach trade six-time NBA All-Star Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan for him. cemeteries found in Seattle, King County, Washington, USA will be saved to your photo volunteer list. [70] Boston won a then-record 59 regular-season games, including a then-record tying 17-game win streak. FOLLOW MORE IBT NEWS ON THE BELOW CHANNELS, IBT Fast Start - Let the best of International News come to you. Not only will the next owner of the home get a fantastic residence owner by an NBA. [219] The FBI maintained a file on Russell and described him in their file as "an arrogant Negro who won't sign autographs for white children". Our community will miss his towering presence. [194][195] For his promotion to coach, the Celtics paid Russell an annual salary of $25,000 which was in addition to his salary as a player. Despite the passing of years and the increasing number of fans who never saw him play, Bill Russell remains a basketball icon. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. The NBA icon Bill Russell and his wife had up to three kids. Russell limited Chamberlain to only two shot attempts in the second half. Notice of Two Public Hearings - Planning Commission Meeting, March 22, 2023 February 13, 2023 - NOTICE OF TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS - March 22, 2023 1) Shoreline Master Program. However, Russell was a man who was not contented with simply playing basketball at the highest level and used his influence to take a stand against racism that permeated American society during his time. [19], During World War II, the Second Great Migration began, as large numbers of blacks were moving to the West to look for work there. I was actually looking at the house next door, but it was not private enough. He purchased the 5-bed, 3.25-bath, 4,250 sq ft home in 1973 when he became the coach of the Seattle Supersonics. [115] While Russell long had sore feelings towards Boston, there was something of a reconciliation, and he visited the city regularly in his later years, something he never did in the years immediately after his retirement. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. He has been a resident of Mercer Island, Washington for over four decades. "[49], Duiring the 196869 NBA season, Russell was shocked by the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, disillusioned by the Vietnam War, and weary from his increasingly stale marriage to his wife Rose; the couple later divorced. In 1987, he returned to the NBA bench, signing a seven . "[109][207] When his white Celtics teammate Frank Ramsey asked whether he hated him, Russell stated that he had been misquoted but few believed it. [5] Russell's team again beat Chamberlain's Philadelphia 76ers 41 in the Eastern Division Finals, proceeding to win the NBA Finals in a tight showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers, with Russell scoring 25 points and grabbing 32 rebounds, plus giving out an assist,[97] in a 9593 win in Game 7. He had invested $250,000 in a rubber plantation in Liberia, where he had wanted to spend his retirement, but it went bankrupt. "[101] The game still ended on a high note for Russell. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. [50] He had the option to skip the tournament and play a full season for the Celtics, but he was determined to play in the Olympics. And whereas the ice cream giant claimed 31 flavors, this NBA giant boasted a game high of 37 points twice in his career. One makes himself look good at the expense of the other guys on the floor. [19], His father was said to be a "stern, hard man" who initially worked in a paper factory as a janitor, which was a typical "Negro Job"low-paid and not intellectually challenging, as sports journalist John Taylor commented. cache 6h 0m It's all over! [115], As a consequence of his endured racist abuse, Russell was extremely sensitive to all racial prejudice. Thank you for fulfilling this photo request. Boston Celtics icon Bill Russell is moving on from his lovely Mercer Island home of nearly 50 years. [59] In the highly-competitive Game 7, Russell tried his best to slow down Pettit, as Heinsohn scored 37 points and kept the Celtics alive;[59] Russell contributed by completing the famous "Coleman Play", as he ran down Hawks forward Jack Coleman, who had received an outlet pass at midcourt, and blocked his shot despite the fact that Russell had been standing at his own baseline when the ball was thrown to Coleman. The game featured Shane Battier, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Maya Moore, Alonzo Mourning, Joakim Noah, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, and Obama's friends from high school. I averaged over 20 points and over 20 rebounds, and I was the only guy in college blocking shots. Other spaces in the house include a media room and a recreation room. Red Auerbach managed to beat everyone and . 4 in a similar list by The Athletic. Girlfriend/Spouse. Early in the 1970s, I was pulled over by two . [49] Boston's chances of getting Russell seemed slim because they had finished second in the previous season and the worst teams had the highest draft picks, and the Celtics had slipped too low in the draft order to pick Russell. "[214], In 1966, Russell was promoted to head coach of the Celtics. He still holds the NBA record for rebounds in one half with 32 (vs. Philadelphia, November 16, 1957). In these eleven games, Russell averaged 18.3 points and 29.4 rebounds. I'm certainly going to ask Maurice Podoloff." Their 4834 record was the team's worst since the 195556 NBA season and they entered the 1969 NBA playoffs as the fourth-seeded team in the East. [8][38] His awards and achievements include eleven NBA championships with the Boston Celtics in thirteen seasons,[52] two of which were won as player-coach,[142] and he is credited with having raised defensive play in the NBA to a new level. The Lakers featured new recruit Chamberlain next to perennial stars Baylor and West, and were the favorites. [77], In the 1962 NBA Finals, the Celtics met the Los Angeles Lakers of forward Elgin Baylor and guard Jerry West. Now, Russell and his wife, Jeannine, are downsizing but staying close to the Mercer Island area. Reserve forward Alex Hannum threw a long alley-oop pass to Pettit and Pettit's tip-in rolled indecisively on the rim for several seconds before rolling out again. [69] It was the record for most rebounds in a single game until November 24, 1960, when Chamberlain grabbed 55 rebounds against Russell,[13] who led the Celtics to a 132129 win over the Philadelphia Warriors with 18 points, 19 rebounds, and 5 assists. I was impressed by his imposing height. Russell was just 9 when his parents arrived . [3] Russell is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Bill Russell's wife #3 Marilyn Nault came into his life in 1996; they tied the knot on February 17, 2000, and remained together until she passed away on January 21, 2009. [202] Later in Russell's career, John Havlicek said of his teammate and coach that he threw up less often than early in his career, only doing so "when it's an important game or an important challenge for himsomeone like Chamberlain, or someone coming up that everyone's touting. Failed to remove flower. Reading, Mercer Island, Los Angeles. Dobre Twins | Rick Pitino | Odell Beckham, Jr | Roman Atwood | Steve Harvey | Stephen Curry | Jordan Spieth | Lionel Messi | Rules on Defense, Coach of Warriors Says", "The 'Coleman Play' introduced and defined Bill Russell's never-say-die leadership to Boston", "12 times NBA awards were pretty ridiculous", "Syracuse Nationals at Boston Celtics Box Score, February 5, 1960", "Boston Celtics at Philadelphia Warriors Box Score, November 24, 1960", "1960 NBA Finals Game 2: St. Louis Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, March 29, 1960", "1960 NBA Finals Game 7: St. Louis Hawks at Boston Celtics Box Score, April 9, 1960", "Celtics Give Sharman Championship Sendoff", "Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 16, 1962", "Boston Celtics Players to have recorded a triple-double", "1962 NBA Finals Game 7: Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics Box Score, April 18, 1962", "Cincinnati Royals vs Boston Celtics Box Score, January 31, 1963", "Kennedy Greets Celtics, but Bill Russell Sleeps", "New York Knicks at Boston Celtics Box Score, February 10, 1963", "1963 NBA Finals Game 3: Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Lakers Box Score, April 17, 1963", "On this day: Pandemic pause anniversary; Russell's 49 boards; Potapenko trade", "Detroit Pistons vs Boston Celtics Box Score, March 11, 1965", "1968 Sportsman of the Year: Bill Russell, Boston Celtics coach-player", "Bill Russell Reported Favoring Movie Career", "Celtics legend Bill Russell receives second induction into Basketball Hall of Fame, as coach this time", "Successful, short-lived coaching days get Bill Russell into Hall again", "Bill Russell, NBA great and former Sonics coach, dies at 88", "Bill Russell Leaves Lasting Impact on Kings", "Watch Saturday Night Live Episode: November 3 Bill Russell", "Culture Now Is a Great Time to Read Bill Russell's Memoir", "Best Betting Scenes: Bill Russell Goes Rogue on 'Miami Vice', "Russell Redux: A Private Man Bursts Back Into the Public Eye", "Shaq heeds Russell's call for peace; Lakers hold on for win", "Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame to induct founding class", "Sports legend Bill Russell receives an honorary degree at the 2007 Suffolk University commencement", "Honorary degrees awarded at Commencement's Morning Exercises", "Dartmouth grads hear 'nose dive' warning", "Naismith and FIBA Hall of Fame: Full list of inductees enshrined at Springfield and Madrid", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement Sports", "The Finals MVP to Receive Bill Russell MVP Award", "All-Star Top 10, from Shaq's moves to boos for Spurs", "Kobe shows maturity of last seven years in leading Lakers to title", "Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients (Photos)", "Inside the Iconic Obama Basketball Games at the White House", "25 players that won a NCAA and NBA championship", "Jordan, Jabbar, Russell and Magic won NCAA and NBA titles, but it's become a rare feat", "Quick quiz: Only four players have been", "How Bill Russell's coaching career opened doors for NBA's Black head coaches", "Bill Russell: How historic success as the league's first Black coach paved the way for others", "NBA Legend Bill Russell Became First Black Coach In Pro Sports 46 Years Ago Today", "Biggest moments for NBA's 15 Greatest Coaches", "Top 10 NBA Players With The Most Finals And Regular Season MVPs Combined", "Ranking Every NBA All-Defensive First Team in History from Worst to First", "NBA 75: Bill Russell, 1960s Athlete of the Decade (TSN Archives)", "ESPN's 'SportsCentury' Goes Back-Back-Back", "Top N. American athletes of the century", "Daily Dime: Special Edition The game's greatest giants ever", "Ranking the top 74 NBA players of all time: Nos. Realogics Sotheby's International Realty Managing broker Eddie Chang has the $2.6. It is social media, so you sort of expect these types of things. [32] Russell became one of several big men who have brought about NCAA rule changes. William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 July 31, 2022) 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. The Boston Celtics "whoop it up' in the dressing room after they beat the Minneapolis Lakers, 118-113, to win the NBA title. [19] Russell's father was once refused service at a gas station until the staff had taken care of all the white customers first. document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); Mark Wahlberg Sells Los Angeles Mansion at a Multi-Million Dollar Discount After Leaving California, Kirstie Alley's Estate Lists Late Star's $6 Million Florida Home That She Bought from Lisa Marie Presley. [181] In 1996, Russell married his third wife, Marilyn Nault;[182] their marriage lasted until her death in January 2009. When I took the job I was a single parent and chose Mercer Island because it had the best schools in the Pacific Northwest," Russell told the Puget Sound Business Journal. "[179], Russell was married to his college sweetheart Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973. His older brother was the noted playwright Charlie L. Russell. [127] On November 17, the two-time NCAA champion Russell was recognized for his impact on college basketball as a member of the founding class of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. [1] The NBA reasoned that other centers were better all-round players than Russell but no player was more valuable to his team. Russell and 14 others were given the highest honor a U.S. civilian can receive in a ceremony at the White House. They had three children: daughter Karen Russell, a television pundit and lawyer, and sons William Jr. and Jacob. [30] Woolpert's choice of how to deploy his players was unaffected by their skin color. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Recently renovated 4,250SF, 4-bed, 3.25-bath mid-century modern home unites the style with contemporary finishes + top-of-the-line appliances to create a retreat ideal for relaxing or soirees. 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