WEBVTT - Paying Respect to Bill Russell

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<v Speaker 1>The most unique NBA podcast is out on Odyssey. Peat

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<v Speaker 2>The Multiverse of Madness. Is there an alternate universe where

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<v Speaker 2>he plays with embiid? Is there an alternate universe where

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<v Speaker 2>he gets skinny? I don't know. Is there an alternate

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<v Speaker 2>universe where Kyrie Irving gets vaccinated? Multiverse of Madness?

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<v Speaker 2>So, if you're anywhere within a planet's distance of the

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<v Speaker 2>NBA space, you understand Bill Russell and how legendary, how

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<v Speaker 2>important he was to this space to not only the

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<v Speaker 2>game from the player's perspective, not only the game from

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<v Speaker 2>an explosion, but just activism and civil rights and continuing

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<v Speaker 2>to push the ball forward on the same level of

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<v Speaker 2>say A Muhammad Ali. So I have to take a

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<v Speaker 2>moment to pay respects to the late great Bill Russell

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<v Speaker 2>eighty eight years old, which I feel like he looked

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<v Speaker 2>older than that he did. I was like, dang, I

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<v Speaker 2>thought you had another ten years though, in you because

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<v Speaker 2>it just felt like Bill Russell had been around, no

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<v Speaker 2>matter what documentary, no matter what moment that we shed

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<v Speaker 2>light on the NBA, what Cornerstone, seventy five fifty, he's

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<v Speaker 2>in the mix of that, and he's the guy. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>And I've been thinking a little bit about Russell because

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<v Speaker 2>I've been thinking a lot about the fact that we

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<v Speaker 2>just continue to resurface the greatest of all Time debate

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<v Speaker 2>over and over and over. And I had just watched

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<v Speaker 2>They Call Me Magic and how good Magic was from

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<v Speaker 2>the time he was a rookie and he was diagnosed

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<v Speaker 2>with HIV, and one could say that if Magic never

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<v Speaker 2>went down, there's a real argument to be made in

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<v Speaker 2>terms of what he could do on the basketball court

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<v Speaker 2>for him to be the greatest of all time, and

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<v Speaker 2>even what he did from a branding perspective, shaping and

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<v Speaker 2>paving the way for guys like Michael Jordan. Even Michael

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<v Speaker 2>Jordan was on that documentary and said, it wasn't me

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<v Speaker 2>that became a huge international pop star. It was Magic first.

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<v Speaker 2>But it's always almost MJ. M Braun. That's the two.

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<v Speaker 2>Sometimes you get some delusional Laker fan bringing up Kobe

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<v Speaker 2>and you know that's what that is. But when you

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<v Speaker 2>wonder about, okay, what is the criteria of greatest of

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<v Speaker 2>all time? And so many people bring up MJ because

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<v Speaker 2>he has one more than Braun, then you have to say, okay, well,

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<v Speaker 2>then winning must be the only or the main criterion

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<v Speaker 2>that we use to hold up the standard. No, if

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<v Speaker 2>we're using that, then there is no debate. If we

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<v Speaker 2>use winning and winning alone outside of the things that

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<v Speaker 2>you've done on the court, your skills, et cetera, there's

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<v Speaker 2>only one answer, and the answer is Bill Russell.

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<v Speaker 1>Dude.

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<v Speaker 2>What won every single level, everywhere he went, everywhere. He

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<v Speaker 2>won state titles his last two years in high school.

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<v Speaker 2>He went to a fourteen and seven school, the San

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<v Speaker 2>Francisco Dons team, and proceeded to go fifty seven and

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<v Speaker 2>one consecutive national titles. What traded on Draft Night to

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<v Speaker 2>the Celtics for a six time All star Ed McCauley

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<v Speaker 2>and another player in what sports historian considered to be

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<v Speaker 2>the most important trade in sports history. Why? Because Bill

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<v Speaker 2>Russell came around and just one of his rookie year yes,

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<v Speaker 2>one at his first year, one at his last year,

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<v Speaker 2>and won nine in between, eleven rings in thirteen years,

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<v Speaker 2>eleven rings in a thirteen thirteen year playing career, and

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<v Speaker 2>those final two championships. He actually coached the Celtics as

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<v Speaker 2>the first black head coaching naim Here history, So if

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<v Speaker 2>you count his coaching titles as double rings, he ended

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<v Speaker 2>up with thirteen rings in thirteen years. The player coach

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<v Speaker 2>thing is wild. That's just such an interesting phenomenon. And

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<v Speaker 2>for those who say that these guys back in the

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<v Speaker 2>day couldn't play in today's NBA, keep in mind this

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<v Speaker 2>little nugget, this little fact Bill Russell was a world

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<v Speaker 2>class high jumper who ran a sub fifty second four

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<v Speaker 2>hundred meter in nineteen fifty nine. Are pair of low

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<v Speaker 2>top chucks. The low top chucks part is important. I feel.

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<v Speaker 2>I feel that that's a critical distinction between we've got

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<v Speaker 2>hokahs or what they called hokahs, hokah wah Wan's waggawan

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<v Speaker 2>and the Nike juaggo on, Yes, we've got the hokahs,

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<v Speaker 2>We've got Nikes, we've got this, We've got that. This

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<v Speaker 2>man's literally playing basketball and running and high jumping in

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<v Speaker 2>some shit that I wear casually and almost sprain my

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<v Speaker 2>ankle just walking, still struggling to get the job done

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<v Speaker 2>in those shoes, just living life. This man used low

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<v Speaker 2>top Chucks as a performance shoe. Not too many people

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<v Speaker 2>could do this now, and not too many people could

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<v Speaker 2>do that at six feet ten. By the way, when

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<v Speaker 2>you think about Paolo Ben Carrol and Bill rust will

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<v Speaker 2>be in the same height. That's that's fucking crazy. So yeah,

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<v Speaker 2>take that goat argument, slice it, dice it, and get

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<v Speaker 2>the fuck out of here. If winning a title is

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<v Speaker 2>what matters in basketball and then Bill Russell should at

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<v Speaker 2>least be mentioned in the debate, especially now that the

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<v Speaker 2>late Great is late and great Rest in peace to

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<v Speaker 2>the greatest winner in basketball history. Bill Russell. Never got

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<v Speaker 2>to meet you. Wish I did. I've seen you across

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<v Speaker 2>the way. Wish I would have said Hi.