Who is Bill Russell?
From 1956 through 1969, William Felton Russell, an American professional basketball player, played as the centre for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He died on July 31, 2022. NBA had been a major contributor for Bill Russell Net Worth.
He was the focal point of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships over the course of his 13-year career. He was a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a 12-time NBA All-Star.
The record for the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league is shared by Russell and Henri Richard of the National Hockey League.
One of the best basketball players of all time is regarded as being Russell.
He captained the United States national basketball team that won the gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as well as two consecutive NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956 with the San Francisco Dons.
What was Bill Russell Net Worth?
At the time of his passing, Bill Russell allegedly had a $10 million net worth. Russell played in an age when earnings weren’t too high, so it’s only a small portion of what professional athletes make today.
How much did Bill Russell earn from the NBA?
In 1956, his signing bonus was $24,000. In contrast, Paolo Banchero, the Orlando Magic’s first-round choice in 2022, inked a four-year, $50.1 million contract, which is more than five times Russell’s net worth.
Russell was, nonetheless, among the NBA’s highest-paid players by 1950s standards.
Towards the end of his career, he allegedly earned $100,001 yearly, which is nearly equivalent to $600,000 today after accounting for inflation. As a player-coach, he allegedly got an additional $25,000. For his final two championships with the Boston Celtics, he served as player-coach (1968, 1969).
What were the brand endorsements of Bill Russell?
According to The Washington Post, Russell had no local endorsement agreements. Yet he also appeared with Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in an AT&T Wireless TV Commercial, as well as Russell Westbrook in a Foot Locker commercial. Stephen Curry appeared in an Under Armour commercial that Russell also narrated.
Where did Bill Russell live?
Russell also had a number of properties in the States. After living there for more than 50 years, he finally sold it in 2021 for $2.6 million. He explained his choice to sell the home to the Puget Sound Business Journal as follows:
“I was offered the head coaching job with the Sonics in 1974. When I took the job, I was a single parent and chose Mercer Island because it had the best schools in the Pacific Northwest. The house was not built for me. I was actually looking at the house next door, but it was not private enough.”
If Russell’s estate or widow decides to sell any of his 11 championship rings at auction, they will profit greatly. Each of the rings is worth a certain amount of money.
How was the career of Bill Russell?
Russell scored 15.1 points per game on offence, but his rebounding, defence, and leadership skills made him one of the best players of his period.
The domination of the Celtics throughout his career was largely due to his shot blocking and man-to-man defence. He stood at 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) tall with a 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) arm span.
Russell was also well-known for his ability to grab rebounds. He had a twelve seasons in a row with 1,000 or more rebounds, and he is still ranked second all-time in both total rebounds and rebounds per game. Russell also four times led the NBA in rebounds.
He is one of just two NBA players to have pulled down more than 50 rebounds in a single game, the other being his fierce rival Wilt Chamberlain.
Russell was the first black player to reach superstar status in the NBA and played alongside black pioneers Earl Lloyd, Chuck Cooper, and Sweetwater Clifton.
He also worked with the Celtics for three seasons (1966-1969), during which time he served as player-coach, making history by being the first black NBA coach to win a championship.
Russell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2011 in recognition of his contributions to the civil rights movement and the judiciary.
Russell was one of the first entrants into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006, and he was admitted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007. Russell was first honoured by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975.
One of just four players to win all three awards, he was chosen for the NBA 25th Anniversary Team in 1971, the NBA 35th Anniversary Team in 1980, one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, and the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
The NBA changed the name of the NBA Finals MVP Award in his honour in 2009. He received a second induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021 for his work as a coach.
Russell became the first player in NBA history to have his #6 jersey retired when the NBA retired it shortly after his passing in 2022.
How did Bill Russell die?
On July 31, 2022, Russell passed away at his home in Mercer Island, Washington, at the age of 88. His relatives shared the information via a tweet. Russell is “the greatest champion in history of team sports,” according to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who made the claim in a statement.
