Russell Westbrook had an interesting interaction with a reporter following the Los Angeles Clippers’ win against the Brooklyn Nets. During the postgame conference, a reporter lauded Westbrook for being one of the biggest and strongest guards. Russ immediately corrected the same by continuously repeating “Ever. Ever.”
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Russell Westbrook clarifies that he’s one of the strongest and most athletic guards ever. pic.twitter.com/vLtbiqEMZV
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) January 21, 2024
Over the past few seasons, Russell Westbrook has been a solid role player, at best. However, during the prime of his career, Westbrook dominated games on a nightly basis. Standing at 6ft 4” and weighing around the 200-pound mark, ‘The Brodie’ would often use his physical gifts to his advantage while asserting dominance over his competition.
As a result, Russ recorded a plethora of triple-doubles and also gathered several accolades – a regular-season MVP, two scoring titles, and multiple All-Star & All-NBA selections.
Westbrook is in the right to correct the reporter. Apart from being one of the greatest point guards ever, he is also one of the most athletic ones. The likes of Magic Johnson, Stephen Curry, and Isiah Thomas may have been better overall players. However, when it comes to strength alone, Russ is arguably the best.
There were numerous moments tonight when the point guard displayed his famous strength and explosiveness. Putting up one of his best performances of the season, Russ recorded 23 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, a steal, and a block, while coming off the bench. He may have been in the middle of a slump during the last few seasons, however, he is clearly in the midst of a comeback at the moment.
Russell Westbrook received praise from Paul George
Russell Westbrook was unarguably the star of the night. Missing out on his season’s highest-scoring performance by just 1 point, Mr. Triple Double seemed unstoppable. Even Mikal Bridges, one of the best defensive guards in the league, was unsuccessful in preventing Westbrook from leading his team to their 2nd straight win.
Paul George has been among the few supporters of Russ during a lackluster season. Even when Westbrook was demoted to the bench, PG kept displaying his immense faith in his teammate. Tonight, after the 2017 MVP’s sensational performance, George showered him with lofty praises.
“Russ is intensity. He brings it every night, every possession. In a game like tonight when we were pretty flat, and couldn’t make shots, you needed someone to give you that extra kick. And Russ definitely brought that extra kick,” George said.
Paul George on Russell Westbrook:
“Russ is intensity. He brings it every night, every possession. In a game like tonight when we were pretty flat, couldn’t make shots, you needed someone to give you that extra kick. And Russ definitely brought that extra kick.” pic.twitter.com/1Wq7Z3vIA3
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) January 21, 2024
For obvious reasons, Westbrook seemed extra chirpy after the contest was over. Answering a question about the joy that he’s been playing the game with, the nine-time All-Star revealed the importance of “having fun”. Attributing the Clippers’ game-winning 22-0 run to the energy that they played with, the 35-year-old said:
“The most important thing about sports, in my opinion, is having fun,” “For me, the joy, the energy, is so important,” Westbrook said. “Our bench, our fans were so great to instill that with us. It was so much fun to be on the floor.”
Fulfilling the sixth-man role that he is appointed with, Russell Westbrook is averaging merely 11.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game this season. Brilliantly leading the second unit of the team, Russ’ contributions have played a huge reason behind the California side’s success.
