LATEST NEWS: Boston Celtics player explains why he made an obscene remark on late bill Russell

LATEST NEWS: Boston Celtics player explains why he made an obscene remark on late bill Russell

In the summer of 2022, shortly after Boston Celtics star Bill Russell died at the age of 88, the NBA decided to retire his No. 6 uniform across the league for all 30 teams.

Former Miami Heat big player Udonis Haslem was outraged by the transfer, and he responded with a scathing remark about Russell. Haslem clarified that he yelled “f— Bill Russell” on “The OGs Show” to refer to the Heat-Celtics rivalry rather than Russell himself.

“Tell me when you gon’ see a Miami Heat jersey hanging in Boston,” Haslem remarked. “… I had to apologize for that. I adore Bill. No offense to Bill. I adore him… Will you ever see a Miami Heat jersey in the rafters of Boston?… Why the f— is he still here? The s— that people say to us when we’re playing there? Now that I think about it, I might not take back what I said, the s— that they say to us?”

Russell was a great pro basketball legend and pioneer. He led the Celtics to 11 titles in 13 seasons, and while he wasn’t a spectacular offensive player, he is widely regarded as the greatest rebounder and defender in NBA history.

Off the court, the center was a great champion. He was a vocal supporter of racial and social justice, and former President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.

Of course, the Heat have had a tense rivalry with the Celtics in recent years. In the second round of the playoffs in 2011, LeBron James led Miami past a Celtics squad headlined by Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo. Miami overcame a 3-2 series deficit against Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2012 to return to the NBA Finals, where James won his first ring against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The two teams have met in the Eastern Conference Finals three of the last four seasons. Last spring, the Heat had a 3-0 series lead before losing and being forced to go to Boston for a pivotal Game 7. They won an incredible 103-84 game to go to the final series.

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The presence of Heat team president Pat Riley, whose Los Angeles Lakers were fierce rivals of the Celtics in the mid-1980s, has inflamed this rivalry even more.

While Haslem may not want Russell’s number hung in the rafters of Kaseya Center, Russell’s effect on and off the court may outweigh the organization’s dislike for the Celtics.