Few players have been more disrespected than Russell Westbrook over the past few years. Even after an excellent year as an important role player for the Denver Nuggets, people continue to fixate on his flaws while ignoring his improvements. Maybe part of that double standard is because many remember just how good he was in the past. There was a time when the West was run by point guards. This is a period that Damian Lillard remembers well.
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Dame joined Austin Rivers’ Eye for the Game podcast, speaking with a player who once prayed for Lillard to miss a shot in the playoffs. During the hour-long conversation, Dame got on the topic of his point guard contemporaries and their battles.
When asked about who his biggest rival was, Lillard had to take a moment to think. Will it be Steph, who he has played against 36 times total, including 10 times in the playoffs? Will it be Kyrie who battles him only twice a year at the Eastern Conference? Or will it be Russ, against whom he hit a game-five buzzer-beater in the 2019 playoffs?
“I’ve played Stephen in more playoff series, but as far as it being personal, it was more me against Russ,” he said. “Steph took off and it’s like, I’m chasing him, I want what he has.”
Austin Rivers theorized that it was because of the similarities between Steph and Dame’s games. Both are shifty, lightning-quick guards with the burst to get to the rim and the outside shooting to pull defenders out of their comfort zones.
Lillard is also from the Oakland area, so he always takes his games against the Warriors incredibly seriously. Hence, it should come as no surprise that Dame has had more ‘real battles’ with Russ than Curry.
But it’s the playoff matchups against Russ that always felt more individually demanding for Dame. Maybe that’s his nostalgia speaking, as I’m sure Lillard is not fond of remembering his 0-10 record against Curry in the playoffs. In comparison, Lillard’s 22-18 lead, including the aforementioned 4-1 series win in 2019, against Westbrook is probably more fun to remember.
However, there is always a baseline of respect between the two legends of the 2010s. In fact, when Westbrook was struggling to find a consistent role on a Lakers roster, it was Dame Lillard who reached out with advice.
Rivals with Respect: Lillard offers advice
In 2022, Dame joined Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay for a guest appearance. During that time, the Lakers’ performance had drastically declined after a trade for Russell Westbrook blew up in their faces. Due to underlying roster issues and coaching failures, the whole team was struggling to play well, but it was Westbrook who became a lightning rod for criticism.
“Face the music & just deal with it [criticism], it’s gonna happen,” said Lillard to his former enemy. “Russell Westbrook’s career and legacy is undeniable. If I tried to go every game and get a triple-double for a whole season, I can’t do it.”
So much of Westbrook’s legacy has been twisted to show what he isn’t rather than what he is and was. Lillard, as his contemporary, can respect this. The criticism will always be loud, but Westbrook has silenced them before. He wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t.
