Michael Jordan and LeBron James didn't have the 'bandwidth' to sit for Bill Russell documentary
- Netflix has released a new documentary on the life and career of NBA legend Bill Russell.
- The film landed a who's who of NBA legends to talk about Russell's influence.
The NBA's GOAT debate has taken an odd turn with the release of a new documentary.
Netflix has dropped their new documentary "Bill Russell: Legend" on the life and career of one of the greatest athletes of all time. The two-episode series is a fascinating look at a complex character who was not only one of the NBA's best ever but was arguably even greater off the court, especially for his work during the Civil Rights movement.
For the series, the producers were able to land a who's who of NBA greats to sit down and offer stories or commentary on the legend.
However, it was easy to notice which all-time greats were not part of the doc, and it was the two biggest names of them all: Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Before the release of "Bill Russell: Legend," Insider spoke with the film's director, Sam Pollard, who was nominated for an Oscar for his documentary, "Four Little Girls," about the bombing of the 16th Street Church in Birmingham, Alabama.
According to Pollard, they wanted LeBron and Jordan for the film but couldn't make it happen.
"Well, we reached out to both of those gentlemen," Pollard told Insider. "Obviously, they had, you know, they didn't have the bandwidth to be able to do the interviews."
James still has his playing career and plenty of projects constantly in the works off the court. Meanwhile, Jordan is still very much a businessperson but otherwise largely stays out of the public eye, with his own recent documentary, "The Last Dance," being a notable exception.
Representatives for James did not respond to Insider for a request for comment.
However, the average NBA fan will notice the omission because of where all three stand in the debate of the NBA's GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).
While many younger NBA fans focus on the debate between LeBron and Jordan, fans more familiar with the sport's history will often throw Bill Russell into the mix.
Before the Boston Celtics legend died in 2022 at the age of 88, he inserted himself into the 2021 debate over who was the greatest athlete ever in any sport, with many favoring Jordan or the NFL's Tom Brady. Russell responded with a simple photo of himself wearing his 11 NBA Championship rings.
As for Pollard, he understands the debate, but Russell gets his vote.
"There's always gonna be this dialogue about who is the GOAT," Pollard told Insider. "If you're a 20-year-old, 25-year-old, and you love basketball, LeBron's the GOAT. If you're a 35- or 45-year-old, MJ is the goat. If you're my age, 72 years old, Bill Russell is the GOAT.
"I would say to you that if it wasn't for Bill Russell or Will Chamberlain, we wouldn't even be having this discussion about LeBron or Michael Jordan, because [Russell] is the greatest of all time.
Even without Jordan and LeBron, the list of people who did interview for Russell's documentary is impressive, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Stephen Curry, and Chris Paul.