Boston Celtics icon Bill Russell is widely considered one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball. However, what may not be common knowledge for some is the fact that he was also one of the most savage trash talkers this game has ever seen. So much so, that even the great Michael Jordan once had to learn this the hard way.

MJ had a reputation of being an elite smack-talker as well, and on one particular occasion, he decided to test his mettle against Russell. Let's just say it didn't exactly work out in Jordan's favor  (h/t NBA Retweet on Twitter):

“He says to me one time, we're out in the middle of the golf course, he says — they had just won a championship, okay — he says ‘You know we’re going to go after your record.' I said, ‘Which one?'” Russell recalled.

That's savage. To be fair, MJ was coming off one of his six championships with the Chicago Bulls when he tried to talk smack toward Russell. Well, the Hall of Fame big man was quick to remind Jordan that he still had quite a ways to go if he wanted to even come close to Russell's record/s with the Celtics:

“I said, ‘You know we won 11,'” Russell continued. “But, we won eight straight. I don't think you'll live long enough to do either one of those.”

True enough, MJ ended his career with six titles. That's just a little over half the championships Russell won in Boston.

Bill Russell passed away on Sunday at the age of 88. The basketball world continues to mourn his death, as well as celebrate the legacy of this all-time great.