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Bill Russell didn’t win 11 NBA championships to be disrespected like this. During today inauguration, ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos mistook the 6′ 10″ NBA Hall of Famer for actor Morgan Freeman on national TV.

We could give Stephanopoulos the benefit of the doubt. It’s not like the ridiculously great Russell (this is where mention that he was also a 12-time NBA All-Star) was in a uniform or standing up. However, the five time NBA MVP was rocking a Boston Celtics hat, with his number “6” on it, and sporting his trademark salt & pepper beard.

But what makes matters worse is that the flub was caught on TV. Check the relatively recent photo of Morgan Freeman below. Nah.

Let this be a lesson, if you’re unsure about who someone is, and you’re on live television, keep it yourself.

Recently, you may have caught Russell in a Pepsi MAX commercial featuring last year’s NBA Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving. “What these youngbloods have to understand [is] that this game has always been, and will always be, about buckets,” says Russell in the spot. Late last year, Freeman lent his voice to Barack Obama reelection campaign ad.

Watch George Stephanopoulos break the heart of every Celtics fan known to man in the video below.

Photo: ABC News