Bill Russell calls Kareem Abdul-Jabbar “Kid” and then jokingly tells Wes Unseld to “shut up” (1997).
July 7, 2025
Bill Russell calls Kareem Abdul-Jabbar “Kid” and then jokingly tells Wes Unseld to “shut up” (1997).
19 comments
The best laugh there’s ever been
The real goat
Kareem mentioned that Bill would always call him “kid” when he saw him in his tribute. Probably started when Kareem attended that civil rights summit in the 60s with Ali and Russell (and other athletes). Crazy that with all Kareem’s achievements, he was always the “kid” to Bill.
Bill Russell has 5 more rings than Jordan and people dismiss him as not even top 5 all time
His laughs were always lively man 😢
People don’t know that Russell was considered the GOAT before Jordan.
Dude was such an icon!
Shut up, Westley! – Bill “Captain Picard” Russel
That’s a man who can walk into a crowd of champions and all-time greats and still be the biggest star there. Even MJ doesn’t claim to be greater than Bill.
I don’t think we’ll ever see a greater champion than Bill Russell in this sport.
Bill was the most confident man in any room, love to see it
Cool Moment
Kareem militant as hell
If you judge a player not only by his accolades and era, but also by his impact, then Bill Russel is by far the GOAT for me. Just his actions as part of the civil rights movement put him up there:
* **Boycotted a game in 1961** in Lexington, Kentucky after Black Celtics players were refused service at a hotel coffee shop — one of the earliest athlete-led protests against segregation.
* **Stood with Muhammad Ali** in 1967 during the famous “Ali Summit” in Cleveland, publicly supporting Ali’s refusal to be drafted into the Vietnam War on moral and religious grounds.
* **Spoke out consistently against racism** in the NBA and American society, including publicly criticizing the Boston media and fans for their racist attitudes even while leading the Celtics to championships.
* **Refused to attend his own jersey retirement ceremony** in 1972 due to the racism he experienced in Boston, sending a message about integrity and self-respect over symbolism.
* **Conducted basketball clinics in segregated Mississippi** after the murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, despite the risk to his safety, to inspire and support Black youth.
* **Became the first Black head coach in major U.S. professional sports** in 1966 when he took over as player-coach of the Celtics, breaking a major racial barrier in leadership.
* **Maintained lifelong activism** and mentorship for younger athletes speaking out on social justice, including supporting Colin Kaepernick and LeBron James in their protests.
The true GOAT
Grown up high school jock energy
Kareem is not laughing lmaooo
Only Bill Russell could joke around with legends and get away with it. Not even MJ had this much stature. I still miss his presence as the NBA’s resident grandpa, RIP Mr. Russell.
19 comments
The best laugh there’s ever been
The real goat
Kareem mentioned that Bill would always call him “kid” when he saw him in his tribute. Probably started when Kareem attended that civil rights summit in the 60s with Ali and Russell (and other athletes). Crazy that with all Kareem’s achievements, he was always the “kid” to Bill.
https://sports.yahoo.com/bill-russell-flips-off-charles-barkley-nba-awards-show-025505652.html
Bill Russell has 5 more rings than Jordan and people dismiss him as not even top 5 all time
His laughs were always lively man 😢
People don’t know that Russell was considered the GOAT before Jordan.
Dude was such an icon!
Shut up, Westley! – Bill “Captain Picard” Russel
That’s a man who can walk into a crowd of champions and all-time greats and still be the biggest star there. Even MJ doesn’t claim to be greater than Bill.
I don’t think we’ll ever see a greater champion than Bill Russell in this sport.
I watch “shut up unseld” at least once a week
[the king stay the king](https://youtu.be/_eYvwVri8-k?si=gbcAr9Wtuyz_kDnK)
Bill was the most confident man in any room, love to see it
Cool Moment
Kareem militant as hell
If you judge a player not only by his accolades and era, but also by his impact, then Bill Russel is by far the GOAT for me. Just his actions as part of the civil rights movement put him up there:
* **Boycotted a game in 1961** in Lexington, Kentucky after Black Celtics players were refused service at a hotel coffee shop — one of the earliest athlete-led protests against segregation.
* **Stood with Muhammad Ali** in 1967 during the famous “Ali Summit” in Cleveland, publicly supporting Ali’s refusal to be drafted into the Vietnam War on moral and religious grounds.
* **Spoke out consistently against racism** in the NBA and American society, including publicly criticizing the Boston media and fans for their racist attitudes even while leading the Celtics to championships.
* **Refused to attend his own jersey retirement ceremony** in 1972 due to the racism he experienced in Boston, sending a message about integrity and self-respect over symbolism.
* **Conducted basketball clinics in segregated Mississippi** after the murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, despite the risk to his safety, to inspire and support Black youth.
* **Became the first Black head coach in major U.S. professional sports** in 1966 when he took over as player-coach of the Celtics, breaking a major racial barrier in leadership.
* **Maintained lifelong activism** and mentorship for younger athletes speaking out on social justice, including supporting Colin Kaepernick and LeBron James in their protests.
The true GOAT
Grown up high school jock energy
Kareem is not laughing lmaooo
Only Bill Russell could joke around with legends and get away with it. Not even MJ had this much stature. I still miss his presence as the NBA’s resident grandpa, RIP Mr. Russell.