“Because of you Mr. Russell, Mr. Kareem, Magic, Charles, that I walked in at 18 years old making 40 million” - Shaquille O'Neal says Bill Russell taught him to shut up, says he realized he was a spoiled brat
The basketball world continues to give appreciation to Bill Russell, who recently died at the age of 88, with LA Lakers and NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal among those doing so.
Though Russell was one of the game's greatest players, his impact off the court was just as special. O'Neal discussed a special encounter with Russell that changed his outlook on life.
On "The Big Podcast with Shaq," O'Neal talked about one of his first memorable interactions with Russell. Shaq said Russell's life experiences taught him to "shut my damn mouth." Russell talked to O'Neal about what playing in the NBA was like during his time, something that woke O'Neal up and made him realize he was a "spoiled brat."
"One day, I'm in the Four Seasons (hotel), Mr. Russell is there and we talk for a long time, and we talked and talked," O'Neal said. "Man, this is the nicest guy in the world, but what I learned from that is, I learned to shut my damn mouth. And let me tell you why.
"He was telling me stories that I had to put some pause on some people. He was telling me stories that, hey, he couldn't stay in the same hotel with his teammates. Every time he leaves town, they breaking into his house. They do this, N-word this, N-word that.
"I'm, like, man, for you to do all that and persevere with 11 championships and never complain, why should a spoiled brat like me complain? It's because of you Mr. Russell, Mr. Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), Magic (Johnson), Charles (Barkley), that I walked in at 18 years old making 40 million dollars. Nobody's ever seen me play."
Shaquille O'Neal shares story about NBA legend Bill Russell
The basketball world has continued to come forth with their memorable experiences of the late Bill Russell. That includes Shaquille O'Neal shared a lengthy conversation with the former Boston Celtics great.
While Russell wasn't known for always being nice to some, the iconic center has left an impact on some of the NBA's greatest players. O'Neal's story about how difficult Russell had it during his era proved that.
The most important thing Bill Russell taught @SHAQ?
Loved this today from the Hall of Famer on the recently-passed #NBA icon:
#NBATwitter #Celtics https://t.co/lUtV72zCvR
Russell became one of the greatest players to ever step on a court. He won 11 championships with the Boston Celtics and was the first African American head coach in league history.