Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell are two of the greatest NBA players of all time. They had incredible duels on the court while becoming very good friends off the hardwoods.
They were so close that Russell would visit Chamberlain the night before they had a game against each other, demonstrating how deep their bond was. Back in 1997, Chamberlain explained their relationship, revealing that Russell had no mercy with him, even after sleeping in his bed.
Talking with Bob Costas, the NBA legend recalled the times the Boston Celtics icon visited his house right before demolishing him on the court (6:40).
“Bill would come to my house on Thanksgiving night because we had Philly vs. Boston the next night. He would sleep in my bed and take some food and he would go out there and whip my butt.”
They are two of the greatest competitors this league has seen. The things they did on the court, their duels against one another, the records they claimed, the rings they won, all combined to make them the big legends they are right now.
The best part is that they didn’t need to create a narrative about how much they hated each other. Wilt and Bill were really good friends everywhere else, but the court, and that was just great to watch.
