Russell Westbrook talks about LeBron James having championship DNA and how he stands to benefit from it in the upcoming 2020-21 season.
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It would not be wrong to say that King James is on the basketball Mount Rushmore. The four-time NBA champion is a generational athlete, having been the face of the league for almost a decade now. Though in his 19th season, James has aged like fine wine.
During the current off-season, the LA Lakers acquired 9x All-Star Russell Westbrook in a blockbuster deal. The 2021-22 season is Westbrook’s best odds for winning a championship, the only thing missing from his Hall of Fame resume.
Though Westbrook played alongside the biggest of the names during his career, none were champions, at least at the time. Thus being in his hometown LA and playing alongside champions LeBron James and Anthony Davis makes it an ideal platform for Westbrook to win it all.
With the season only a couple of weeks away, Westbrook spoke about how James knows what it takes to be a champion. Thus the former Cavs superstar’s championship experience would be of great use to Westbrook.
Russell Westbrook is confident LeBron James’ championship experience will help him next season
The LA Lakers have made the most noise during the current off-season adding former MVP Russell Westbrook to their roster. The team also added veterans Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and Rajon Rondo.
Westbrook seems optimistic about his chances in the upcoming season, especially having LeBron James by his side.
“LeBron out of anybody else, he knows what it takes to win a championship,” Westbrook told ESPN. “My understanding of the commitment, understanding the sacrifices that we are both going to have to make, including myself and [Anthony Davis] as well for the betterment on the team, and finding ways to be able to win a championship. And that’s the ultimate goal. So anything along the way we, we cannot get distracted, cannot get the deterred from our ultimate goal.”
Russ added how playing alongside James would help him elevate his game, calling him one of the greatest.
“When you get a chance to play against one of the greatest players of all time and consistently, it helps my game,” Westbrook said. “It helps my preparation, makes me focus more on the things I need to focus on to get to a point where I can sit down and say, ‘I’ve accomplished everything I can accomplish in this league and now I’m lucky enough to be able to play alongside him.’ So I’m looking forward to that, looking forward to the things we can accomplish here together this season.”
In his 18-season career, James had been to the Finals 10-times with a 6-4 record. Each time that his team has won a championship, James had been the Finals MVP.
Some of his toughest championships being,
James did the impossible in 2016, with the Cavaliers becoming the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in Finals history. The 2020 championship was an iconic one as well, winning amid a global pandemic.
The LA Lakers are one of the top contenders for the 2021 NBA championship. With the season only a few weeks away, team chemistry would be the top priority for the Lakers.
