Barack Obama presents the 2010 Medal of Freedom to NBA Basketball Hall of Famer and human rights advocate Bill Russell during a ceremony at the White House in Washington DC on February 15, 2011. ( Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
(CNN) --
Basketball player Bill Russell, an 11-time NBA champion with the Boston Celtics and an American sports legend, died Sunday, his family said.
Bill Russell, NBA and Celtics legend, dies at 88
Here's a look at the life of Russell, the Hall of Fame center who paved the way for future generations to grow in basketball and sports in general.
Bill Russell's Personal Information
Date of birth: February 12, 1934
Place of birth: Monroe, Louisiana
Birth name: William Felton Russell
Father: Charles Russell
Mother: Katie (King) Russell
Marriages: Jeannine Fiorito (2016-present);
Marilyn Nault (1996-January 2009, her death);
Dorothy "Didi" Anstett (1977-1980, divorced);
Rose Swisher (1956-1973, divorced)
Children with Rose Swisher: Karen, William Jr. "Buda" and Jacob
Education: University of San Francisco, B.A., 1956
Data and achievements
1.80 meter pivot known for his defense and his ability to block shots.
He won 11 NBA championships in his 13 years with the Boston Celtics in 1957, 1959-1966, and 1968-1969.
Five times NBA Most Valuable Player in 1958, 1961-1963 and 1965.
Twelve-time NBA All-Star from 1958 to 1969 and All-Star MVP in 1963.
He was a commentator for televised basketball games in between his coaching jobs.
Founder and member emeritus of the board of directors of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.
Younger brother of playwright Charlie L. Russell.
Chronology
1955 and 1956 -
Leads the San Francisco Dons to two NCAA basketball championships and an undefeated season in 1956.
April 29, 1956 -
Selected second in the NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks and later traded to the Boston Celtics.
November 1956 –
Captain of the United States men's basketball team that wins gold at the Melbourne Olympics.
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December 1956-1969 -
Center for the Boston Celtics.
1966-1969 -
Works as a player-coach for the Boston Celtics, making him the first African-American coach in the NBA.
1973-1977 -
Head Coach and General Manager of the Seattle SuperSonics.
1975 -
Russell is inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, but does not attend the ceremony.
November 1987-1988 -
Head Coach of the Sacramento Kings.
2001 -
A memoir and motivational book is published: "Russell Rules: 11 Lessons on Leadership from the Twentieth Century's Greatest Winner."
February 2009 –
NBA Commissioner David Stern announces that the Finals MVP trophy will be renamed the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.
February 2011 -
Receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
October 2011 -
Joins other gamers in a class action lawsuit against the NCAA, Electronic Arts, and Collegiate Licensing Company for using his images in a video game without permission or compensation.
October 16, 2013 -
Arrested for bringing a loaded .38-caliber Smith & Wesson pistol into Seattle's Sea-Tac International Airport.
He is issued a state citation and is released.
November 1, 2013 –
A bronze statue of Russell is unveiled in Boston's City Hall Square.
The statue is erected by the Bill Russell Legacy Project, which also developed the Bill Russell Mentoring Grant Program.
July 17, 2014 -
Briefly hospitalized after collapsing onstage during a speech near Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
Celtics officials later say Russell is feeling better and he is expected to fly home to Seattle later that day.
August 8, 2014 -
A federal judge rules in favor of Russell and other college athletes who sued to end the NCAA's control over rights to college athletes' names, likenesses and likenesses.
July 2015 -
A federal judge approves the final $60 million settlement stemming from the lawsuits by Russell and other college athletes.
The Collegiate Licensing Company and Electronic Arts case settles for $40 million and the NCAA case settles for $20 million, as agreed in 2014.
May 18, 2018 -
He is rushed to the hospital from his home in Seattle for dehydration.
Russell is released the next day.
November 15, 2019 -
In a private ceremony, he accepts his 1975 Basketball Hall of Fame ring. Russell tweets that he "refused to be the first black player" to have that honor and mentions Chuck Cooper being inducted into the Hall of Fame in September 2019.
September 12, 2021 - Inducted
into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach.
Russell's winning record as an NBA head coach is 341-290 in the regular season and 34-27 in the playoffs.
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