Udonis Haslem Explains Cursing Out the Late Bill Russell

In the world of sports, some players transcend rivalries. In the NBA, Bill Russell was one of those names. Even if you hated the Boston Celtics, you had to respect the legendary big man and what he accomplished both on and off the court.

Well, almost everyone had to. Udonis Haslem, it seems, was a partial exception to that rule.

On The OGs podcast, the Heat's Bam Adebayo volunteered that before a game against Boston, Haslem decided to curse out the late legend. The forward then told his side of the story, explaining that, while he did say the words in question, he didn't mean any disrespect.

Sound unbelievable? Let's roll the tape.

Haslem Said 'F*** Bill Russell' Before a Game

Motivation can be a very personal thing. Some people need a spark to get themselves going; others are a bit more understated, preferring to focus on quietly getting the job done. If you take Adebayo at his word, however, Haslem attempted to light a fire under the Heat ahead of a date with the Celtics.

"Man, we could have been in the Eastern Conference Finals. We could have been in the regular season game. It ain't matter. We playing Boston, so you know his feel on that," the big man explained.

"So, dog, we in the huddle and, you know, cap come in there and he give his pregame speech. So, at that time, we was home, and you know they retire like Bill Russel's jersey for everybody in the league. So they got '6' in our rafters."

That was apparently a bridge too far for Haslem.

"This man going off," Adebayo continued. "'F*** them, f*** this.' ... And he end his pregame speech like ... 'F*** Bill Russell, too.' I said, 'Bro, this man dead, OG.'"

At that point, Haslem (who had been interjecting to ask if you've ever seen a Heat jersey hanging in the Celtics' rafters) stepped in to tell his side of the story.

"I had to repent that," the veteran said. "I love Bill. There's no disrespect to Bill. I love Bill. He just caught that stray."

He then returned to his previous argument, focusing on the team-centric side of things.

"Will you ever see a Miami Heat jersey in hanging the Boston rafters?" Haslem asked. "Ever? In life? I wouldn't give a f*** if a Miami Heat player was on the basketball. Who's that motherf***** on the basketball? What's his name? ... Jerry West. That motherf***** played for the Heat, he would never hang in the rafters. He would never. They would never hang Jerry West's Miami Heat jersey in the Boston rafters. Never in life. Respect to Bill Russell. I love him. Why the f*** he got to hang in here?"

Russell Was Honored for More Than Just Basketball

Throughout his explanation, Haslem kept leaning on the central tenet of rivalry. In his mind, the Heat and the Celtics are diametrically opposed; one franchise shouldn't be honoring the other's player.

Under most ordinary circumstances, that would make sense. Russell's jersey retirement, however, was a departure from the norm. The late legend earned the league-wide honor because of both his on-court success and his off-court efforts.

"The National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced today that they will honor the life and legacy of 11-time NBA champion and civil rights pioneer Bill Russell by permanently retiring his uniform number, 6, throughout the league," an August 2022 statement explained. "The iconic Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer will be the first player to have his number retired across the NBA."

The statement also quoted Commissioner Adam Silver, who referenced Russell's "unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism" and discussed how the big man "passionately advocated for the values of equality, respect and inclusion."

That, it goes without saying, is something bigger than basketball. It transcends fan bases and rooting rivalries. And that is a big part of the reason why Russell is honored in Miami and every other arena around the league. He was a giant, both in terms of basketball and humanity.

And, if nothing else, don't forget that the Heat also retired Michael Jordan's number which, if we're talking about honoring other franchise's players, is a bit more bizarre than a league-wide recognition of Bill Russell.