NBA legend and an athlete known to be a winner on the court, Bill Russell passed away on Sunday as the news broke on his social media handler. His wife was said to be with him during his last breath, here are all the details about his wife – Jeannine Fiorito.
Jeannine Russell, who is also known as Jeannine Fiorito and Jeannine Maddux, is Boston Celtics’ legend Bill Russell‘s fourth wife. She was said to be with him during his last breath. The news on Russell’s demise was announced by his family, on social media. The 88-year-old was a pioneer in the sport of basketball and is the most decorated player in the NBA. An 11-time champion, he led the Boston Celtics‘ era of dominance in the 1950s and ’60s. As per his verified official Twitter account, he died peacefully with his wife Jeannine Russell by his side.
The NBA legend was a victim of racism in the past and not even his basketball fame helped him. People broke into his house, destroyed his trophies, and did many other outrageous deeds. Russell used his popularity to fight for civil rights and help others who were in a similar situation. While there is still progress to be made, the Basketball Hall of Famer should get a lot of credit for fighting against what was wrong.
While all this was Russell’s past, presently he was very satisfied with the league’s progress, and also with his personal life too. Here is a closer look at his better half – Jeannine Russell.
FOUR marriages of Celtics legend Bill Russell and his current wife Jeannine Fiorito
A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a 12-time NBA All-Star, Bill was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career. He played from 1956 to 1969, winning every award possible in the league. The Finals MVP award was named after him, honoring the NBA icon. While he had great professional life, here are some details about his personal life.
The Celtics legend Russell was married to his college sweetheart Rose Swisher from 1956 to 1973. They had three children: daughter Karen Russell, a television pundit and lawyer, and sons William Jr. and Jacob. The couple grew emotionally distant and divorced. In 1977, he married Dorothy Anstett, Miss USA of 1968, and after 12 years of marriage, they divorced in 1980.
In 1996, Russell married his third wife, Marilyn Nault, their marriage lasted until her death in January 2009. Russell was married to Jeannine Russell at the time of his death. It is unclear when Jeannine Russell and Bill met, but the couple married in 2018 when Russell was 84. They were married on 8th December, and we would trace back Jeannine’s pictures on Bill’s social media handles date back to 2018.
While his current misses, Jeannine Russell was handling Bill’s social media account and was quite active on Instagram. The couple has been spotted courtside at NBA games on several occasions. Jeannine baked the cake for his 85th birthday. The couple shared a laugh over how there were so many candles on the cake that they had to keep a fire extinguisher at hand.
Though Jeannine Russell came into the limelight after marrying NBA legend Bill Russell, she is a former professional golfer. She finished 64th on the Canadian Women’s Tour in British Columbia and 19th on the one in Ontario in 2010. Like her husband, she also has a “Player of the Year” award in 2010. Her best finish was 15th in 2009 at the Canadian Women’s Tour in Seymour.
The couple attended the 2019 NBA Finals and showed their support for the LGBTQ community via an Instagram post about Pride Month. Bill Russell, being a San Francisco legend, supported the Golden State Warriors against the Raptors.
