Back in the day, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain were bitter rivals on the basketball court. However, they were also reportedly pretty close off the court. Russell even ate dinner at Chamberlain's house a few times after Sixers/Lakers games in Philadelphia. So you'd think that with today being the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Chamberlain's 100-point game, Russell would be open to talking about it. However, when NBA insider Ken Berger contacted Russell yesterday to get the scoop, he was unceremoniously turned down when he asked Russell if he'd like to share his thoughts on Chamberlain's accomplishment.
"Not really," Russell said.
"Is it a bad time," Berger asked, "or is it a topic you don't really want to talk about?"
"A little of both," Russell replied.
And, just like that, Russell turned down the chance to honor his longtime friend/foe. Why? Well, Berger went into some detail about the pair's love/hate relationship and even talked to Chamberlain's longtime friend and attorney to get some perspective. But, still: Russell didn't have anything to say about Wilt's feat? Even though Wilt has passed, it sounds like the on-court rivalry lives on.
[via BergerSphere]
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