An American professional basketball player William Felton Russell has passed away.
Bill played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association from 1956 to 1969.
He was a five-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and a 12-time NBA All-Star. During his 13-year career, Bill was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships.
Bill and Henri Richard of the National Hockey League are tied for the record of the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league.
He led the San Francisco Dons to two consecutive NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, and he captained the gold-medal winning U.S. national basketball team at the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Russell is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Bill Russell passed away at his Mercer Island, Washington, home on July 31, 2022, at the age of 88.
Bill Russell Parents: Charles Russell, Katie Russell
Bill was born on February 12, 1934, to his parents Charles Russell and Katie Russell in West Monroe, Louisiana, United States.
Like almost all Southern towns and cities of that time, Monroe was very segregated and the Russells often struggled with racism in their daily lives.
Bill’s father was once refused service at a gas station until the staff had taken care of all the white customers first.
When he attempted to leave and find a different station, the attendant stuck a shotgun in his face and threatened to kill him if he did not stay and wait his turn.
In another incident, Bill’s mother was walking outside in a fancy dress when a white policeman accosted her. He told her to go home and remove the dress, which he described as “white woman’s clothing”.
Source: Kingaziz.com