National Basketball Association

83-year-old Bill Russell talking trash was the highlight of the NBA Awards

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

Sports Illustrated, Dan Gartland/Sports Illustrated

At age 83, Bill Russell is just as ruthless as ever.

The NBA honored Russell at its first annual awards show on Monday by inviting five other legendary centers to present him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. It was a very heartfelt presentation, with a touching speech by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and a dramatic video package. But then Russell brought the house down with some brutal smack talk.

The reaction from the crowd was almost as good as Russell's joke.