Getty Udonis Haslem
The Boston Celtics pummeled the Miami Heat on January 25, winning 143-110. After the Celtics sealed the victory, their official X account posted a GIF of Celtics legend Bill Russell laughing during a Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony.
This was a not-so-subtle dig at former Heat player Udonis Haslem for some of his earlier comments about Russell.
“So, they’ve got ‘6’ in our rafters, and he ends his pregame speech like f*** Bill Russell, too. I said, bro, this man is dead, OG,” Haslem said on the December 26, 2023 episode of “The OGs.” “Tell me when you’re going to see a Miami Heat jersey hanging in Boston.”
While Haslem emphasized his respect for Russell, he continued to question why Miami retired his jersey.
“I had to repent that. I love Bill,” Haslem said. “No disrespect to Bill. I love Bill, it’s just, he caught that stray … I respect Bill Russell, I love him but why the f*** does he have to hang in here? The s*** that comes out of them people’s mouths to us when we were playing there?
“I might not take back what I said, now that I think about it, the s*** that they said to us.”
Russell’s jersey was retired across the entire NBA both because of his basketball legacy and his impact on the civil rights movement.
Udonis Haslem Apologizes for Bill Russell Comments
Following the backlash Udonis Haslem received for his comments about Bill Russell, Haslem issued an apology to his family while acknowledging Russell’s legacy as a player and person.
“Let me talk on this one time,” Haslem said on the January 16 episode of “The OGs.” “First, as a black man, I understand what Bill Russell has done for us. Aside from basketball, what he has done for us as a black man just for us to move forward in life. I have a lot of respect. Love what he’s done on the basketball court as well. Being a champion, I’m all about winning. If I apologize to anybody, it’d be Bill Russell’s family.”
Haslem then delved further into the apology he wanted to give to Russell’s family.
“Bill Russell’s family, I will apologize because that might have came off as insensitive in the heat of the moment, but I got a lot of love and a lot of respect for Bill Russell, so as a man, if I came off wrong, I apologize,” Haslem said.
Though Haslem also made it clear how much he loathes the Celtics fanbase, he clearly understood he took it too far with his comments about Russell.
Celtics Troll ‘Heat Culture’ After Win
Udonis Haslem wasn’t the only one the Celtics trolled after the win. The Celtics X account also took a not-so-subtle shot at the Heat following the win. After the win, they tweeted a picture of Jayson Tatum with the caption, “Good win for the culture.”
Good win for the culture ☘️
This is a shot at “Heat culture” that has become so popularized over the past several years. All jokes aside, the Heat have gotten results over the past few years. They’ve made the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023 when no one expected them to. Despite the Celtics blowing them out, the Heat have bested them twice in the postseason in that same time period.