Udonis Haslem Explains Why He Said 'F**k Bill Russell' After Miami Heat Retired Celtics Legend's Jersey

The decision to retire Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey league-wide last year after his passing was not a controversial one by any means, but Udonis Haslem had a big issue with it. On The OGs Show, Bam Adebayo revealed how unhappy Haslem was to see Russell's jersey up in the rafters in Miami.

"We playing Boston, so you know his feel on that," Adebayo said. "So dog, we in the huddle. Cap come in there, he give his pre-game speech. They retired Bill Russell's jersey for everybody in the league, so they got six in our rafters, and he end his pre-game speech like... 'F**k Bill Russell, too.' I said, 'Bro, this man dead OG.'"

Haslem made it clear he intended no disrespect and explained why he wasn't a fan of the decision.

"I had to repent that, I love Bill. No disrespect to Bill," Haslem stated. "He just caught that stray. Respect to Bill Russell... But will you ever see a Miami Heat jersey hanging in the Boston rafters? Respect to Bill Russell, I love him. Why the f*** he got to hang in here? The s*** that comes out of people's mouths to us when we playing there (in Boston)? I might not take back what I said, now that I think about it."

Haslem doesn't seem to have an issue with the Heat having Michael Jordan's jersey in the rafters, but he doesn't want to see a Boston Celtics player's jersey up there. While you might be able to understand his anger, to an extent, he still has to consider whose that is.

There might never be an NBA player who is as revered and respected as Russell was. He played a huge role in the league becoming what it is today and was also a civil rights activist. If there is anyone who deserves the honor of having their jersey retired league-wide, regardless of rivalries and whatnot, it is Russell.

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Udonis Haslem Reveals The Celtics Players Whom He Hates

The Heat and the Celtics have had many epic battles over the years and Haslem has been involved in a lot of them. While the players of today tend to be on good terms with their opponents, Haslem made it clear he has no love for two retired Celtics legends whom he played against.

"In my era, we used to hate the motherf****** that we used to have to go against and the rivalries and all those sh**, to this day," Haslem said. "Y'all know how I feel (when) we gotta play the Celtics. I can't stand them motherf******… I like (Jayson) Tatum, I like (Jaylen) Brown, but the old motherf****** (Kevin Garnett) and Paul (Pierce), I don't f**k with y'all. Y'all know that, it's cool."

Haslem wildly stated that if he ever saw Kevin Garnett or Paul Pierce at a grocery store, he'd go at them. This beef isn't one that is ever going to end and the 43-year-old has actually taken a fair few shots at the Celtics legends in recent times.

Last year, Haslem fiercely hit back at Pierce and Garnett for criticizing the Heat, as the two Hall of Famers had stated that Miami's title window had closed. Haslem brutally stated that he knows a thing or two about windows closing, as he and the Heat were the ones who closed that title window for the Celtics Big 3.

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