Ex-Lakers Star Backs Udonis Haslem’s Bill Russell Retaliation Amid Raging Backlash

Udonis Haslem has been under scrutiny after his recent comments on Bill Russell. The Boston Celtics legend has changed the lives of people and worked beyond the basketball court to make the world a better place. This earned him the ultimate honor from the NBA for having his jersey number 6 retired across the entire league when he sadly passed away in 2022. Amidst all the outrage from the fans against the comments made by Udonis Haslem, a Philadelphia 76ers player is now agreeing with him.

Haslem was not a fan of seeing a Celtics jersey hanging in the rafters of the Miami Heat arena. While trying to motivate his team to play extra hard against the Celtics, he inadvertently said ‘f*** Bill Russell,” which was disclosed by Bam Adebayo in a recent episode of the OG’s Podcast. When Patrick Beverley was let know of what Haslem had said about the 11x Champion, he replied, “I understand that, from that point of view. He is from Florida, he is culture, he is the whole thing.”

Haslem later confirmed that his intention was not to say that towards Russell but rather to motivate his team by mentioning that Russell’s jersey was in the rafters when playing against the Celtics. But he got caught in the moment. Beverley said that he does not have much to say about it but he certainly understands why Haslem would not like seeing it. For Haslem, who was raised in Florida and has played for the Miami Heat for 20 seasons, this action from the organization was not something he appreciated.

But he was not the only one who didn’t like the Miami Heat doing this. His former teammate recently expressed his dissatisfaction with the same.

Shaquille O’Neal also agrees with Udonis Haslem

During a recent episode of the Big Podcast, Shaquille O’Neal revealed his thoughts on the jerseys of Michael Jordan and Bill Russell getting retired in Miami. The 4x champion is not a fan of it.

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Shaq said to Udonis Haslem, “But this thing of ours. This is what we built. Michael Jordan ain’t never play for the Heat. Bill Russell ain’t never play for the Heat… I don’t like that personally.” The 4x champion’s dissatisfaction is warranted, as he was part of the roster that got the team its first-ever championship. So having the jerseys of others on the rafters alongside his is certainly something that he is not a fan of.

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What do you think of Udonis Haslem’s comments on Bill Russell? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!