The NBA may have become a shooting and spacing-oriented league revolving around elite play by guards, but it was once ruled by the big men. The legendary Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain were statistical marvels, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar set many records of his own. Shaquille O’Neal was arguably the last great big man, and his dominance for 3 seasons with the Lakers cannot be compared to anyone else.
With Bill Russell’s recent passing, a lot of stories have been told about the way he interacted with those that came after him. He famously roasted Michael Jordan and had a wholesome message for Shaq’s former teammate Kobe Bryant. And now O’Neal has revealed on the Rich Eisen Show what interacting with the Celtics legend was like for him.
The most important thing Bill Russell taught @SHAQ?
Loved this today from the Hall of Famer on the recently-passed #NBA icon:#NBATwitter #Celtics pic.twitter.com/lUtV72zCvR
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) August 2, 2022
“Top 2 greatest big men ever. He was the nicest gentleman ever. I learned from him, he made me realize I was a spoiled brat when I was complaining. And what I mean by that is when I first met Bill Russell, nice, jovial.
“And he would start telling me stories. Stories where I have no idea, couldn’t stay in the same hotel as his teammates, people throwing things at ya, death threats, and this and that. And I was like, ‘You know what, Imma stop complaining’. Because it’s thanks to guys like him… they paved the way for me. They paved the way for me to make a lot of money.
“He was the first legendary big man that was nice to me. Kareem didn’t say much, Wilt didn’t say much. And then I met Mr. Russell. There was a hug, and sit down.”
Bill Russell’s journey was a story of struggle, sacrifice, and sheer determination to win, an example to everyone that came after him in the league. For a player like Shaquille O’Neal, a big man himself, Russell is the ultimate example. He will likely carry the moments he shared with the legend for the rest of his life.
