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2018 NBA Awards - Red Carpet

Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty

For many NBA fans, Bill Russell is firmly in the top of the mix as the best basketball player to ever live especially when you count his 11 championship rings. The legendary Boston Celtics star also has a mean middle finger, and he unknowingly flipped off Charles Barkley on live television during the broadcast of the 2018 NBA Awards.

While the flip off didn’t seem malicious at all considering Barkley was standing next to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and heaping praise upon the still-regal big man, it goes without saying that the moment getting seen during the live TNT broadcast will go down in history much like everything else in Russell’s career.

Russell took to Twitter to explain that flipping off Barkley is just instinct, something we’re sure Barkley’s Inside The NBA co-host Shaquille O’Neal has undoubtedly done in times past.

“Sorry everyone, I forgot it was live TV & I can’t help myself whenever I see Charles it just is pure instinct,” Russell tweeted.

Photo: Getty