6’10” Bill Russell hilariously revealed his sassier side, flipped Charles Barkley off on live, national television

Bill Russell was one of the greatest players ever and a social champion.

Russell‘s intensity in driving teams to victory and social causes is well recorded. The GOAT Celtic was the personification of a winner and drove everyone around him to greater levels.

Bill Russell won 11 championships in his 13 seasons in the league. Russell came a winner and left a winner, with his last game ever being a championship clincher.

Also read: A 6ft 10″ Bill Russell was an athletically gifted beast of nature who could jump over an NBA player to dunk the basketball from the free throw line

In addition to this, Russell was beloved by his peers and successors too. Bill was an icon who represented a lot more than basketball and was a mentor to all who walked the trail he blazed.

All considered Russell gives off the vibe of a no-nonsense killer. However, that is not the case at all times. One such moment of Russell’s lighter side was on display on live television.

How did Bill Russell mess with Charles Barkley on live television?

Russell trolled Barkley in the simplest and most effective way possible. Russell flipped Barkley off.

Barkley, along with Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was on stage at the NBA awards. Barkley took a second to greet Bill Russell and received a big bird as an acknowledgment.

Bill Russell later clarified that he did not know that he was on live television. The big man said that his act of flipping Chuck off was a matter of pure instinct.

the greatest to ever do it pic.twitter.com/hpvEaUpUZp

— hometown hussy (@ohhhIivia) July 31, 2022

Clearly winning championships was not his only mission. Embarrassing Charles Barkley was right up there too.

Flipping a Hall of Famer on live television is a privilege only someone as great can have. And Bill Russell is as great as they come.

With his demise hitting the news, let’s take a minute to laugh with Bill. Here’s to the memory of an all-time great and the winning-est player in all of American sport.

Also read: “Beat that, Michael Jordan.. LeBron James, you’re not gonna come close!”: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar explains why Bill Russell’s 11 in 13 outshines every other achievement