Russell Westbrook may have slowly morphed into a bit of a comical character in the last four or so years of his career, but the aura he once had as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, was unmatched. Russ began his NBA journey in OKC and gave them 11 solid years of top notch play, including his famed 2017 MVP season. It wasn’t just that the nine-time All-Star was a younger, more athletic version of himself during the Thunder days. It was also that his vicious ferocity was as noticeable as his game.
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In his 821 games as a member of the Oklahoma team, Russ averaged 23 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds. He also recorded 138 triple-doubles in that time, which is a huge chunk of his historic record of 202 triple-doubles. His Hall of Fame case will not be hard to argue, especially if you just look at this 11-year period.
Theo Pinson and Damien Wilkins remember the Thunder version of Russ very well. The duo spoke about it on a recent edition of the Run Your Race podcast. “He had a different mentality,” began Wilkins. Pinson instantly agreed, declaring how that version of Westbrook was “different.” But it wasn’t just the mentality that stood out to the now retired NBA stars. It was the fact that…he was a little crazy.
“Russ was psychotic,” claimed Wilkins. “He had a loose screw. I’ve never seen a guy that can come into practice, no stretching, and just be full speed.” The story inspired Pinson, who wondered what kind of drive Russ must have had during those days considering he still plays that hard today. “He play so hard now, I can’t imagine then,” stated Pinson.
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Russ’s standout year in 2017 saw him put up crazy numbers across the board that are better than some full careers. 31.6 PPG, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds. Maybe Pinson and Wilkins were right, because you have to be a PSYCHO to drop those stats, especially as someone who is no taller than 6’4.
Pinson and Wilkins are far from the first bunch of former players to sing praises upon Westbrook though. When it comes to intensity, no one’s word means more than Kobe Bryant’s.
Kobe stated that he and Russ were a lot alike
While Westbrook is far from the player he once was, his competitive fire burns hotter than it ever had. One person who recognized that drive was Kobe Bryant. The Mamba was once asked about the similarities he sees between himself and Russ during a post-game presser.
“He plays the game with such an energy and such an aggressiveness,” stated Bryan at the time. “I think it needs to be appreciated. He needs to be appreciated. He’s not out there trying to be cute with the basketball. He’s not out there trying to make friends. This guy is playing hard every time down.”
Bryant’s endorsement of Russ is something, considering how off the wall the Mamba was himself. This was a man who once ran through his very close friend, Paul Gasol, in the U.S. Olympics just to send a message. The question is, can Russ channel his crazy into capturing the one thing that has alluded his career?
