Bill Russell, with digits presumably unextended. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/Associated Press)
Let us all pause, for just a moment before the drama of Where Will LeBron Play catches fire, to appreciate the national treasure that is Bill Russell.
He managed steal the second annual NBA Awards show Monday night, doing what many people, even those who find Charles Barkley hilarious and entertaining, would sometimes like to do to Sir Charles.
He flipped him off.
That’s right. With a smile and a laugh, he extended his middle digit.
So much for James Harden’s moment winning the Most Valuable Player Award over LeBron or Ben Simmons being named Rookie of the Year or any of the other winners. This was solid entertainment. Later, in a tweet in which he shared the unblurred image (see it here or feel free to use your imagination), the 84-year-old Hall of Famer, rated by many as the greatest NBA player of all time, offered a plausible explanation for his behavior.
“Sorry, everyone,” he wrote. “I forgot it was live TV and I can’t help myself. Whenever I see Charles, it just is pure instinct.”
It’s a tweet that has been liked more than 98,000 times (as of 7:30 a.m.).
Some of the responses are solid.
Sometimes, you see, the extension of a middle digit can be nothing more than a joke. Joel Embiid embedded video of the moment and admitted in a tweet: “LMAO.” Besides, Russell has done this, possibly more to cameras than to individuals, before.
And Barkley and Russell have a bit of history. In April, Russell tweeted that Barkley “has a better chance of getting struck by lightning” than guarding Russell.
This isn’t the first time Russell has gotten cheeky at the awards show, either. At last year’s event, he stepped onto the stage with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Dikembe Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning and David Robinson and cracked that he could kick all of their … butts.
Just what did Sir Charles do to merit this salute? he was presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award and was thanking all the NBA legends.
Here’s how the other major awards shook out. The Pacers’ Victor Oladipo was judged the most improved player, Rudy Gobert of the Jazz snagged defensive player of the year honors, the Clippers’ Lou Williams was the No. 1 sixth man and Dwane Casey was judged coach of the year for his work with the Raptor, who fired him. He now coaches the Pistons.
All of which leaves only two questions: What was James Harden wearing?
James Harden, fashion god, with his mom and Adam Silver. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP)
And, secondly, can Bill Russell get a seat at every awards show from now on?
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