LeBron James has a new superstar teammate in Russell Westbrook, but NBA analyst Bart Scott thinks the new addition will outlast the old gun.
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The Lakers swung for the former Wizards, Rockets, and Thunder superstar is on his way to Los Angeles to form the NBA’s newest ‘Big Three.’ The fit might seem a little weird at first given the Lakers’ lack of shooting and Westbrook’s inability to shoot, but the hope is he can elevate the Lakers playmaking.
LeBron is now 36 years old, and while he isn’t planning on retiring any time soon, the day will come eventually. Because of that, NBA analyst Bart Scott predicts that Westbrook will actually end up staying in LA longer than ‘The King’ despite joining later.
Why Russell Westbrook Will Stay With The Lakers Longer Than LeBron James
So, why is Westbrook slated to stay longer than LeBron? Bart Scott had the following explanation for why he believes that:
“At some point, I think that Westbrook will outlast LeBron because I think LeBron has one maybe two more years left in that body as you see him start to breakdown. You got all these miles on your body, eventually, they’ll start catching up with you. Father Time is undefeated. So when LeBron leaves at least they can say ‘well, we still have Brodie and we still have Anthony Davis.”
Scott’s assessment makes sense when you think about it. LeBron is definitely past his physical prime as evidenced by his ankle injury which took him out for the longest time in his NBA career.
Father time always wins, and LeBron’s time could be coming, but there is no guarantee. Perhaps Westbrook’s arrival lifts some of the pressure off of LeBron’s shoulder elongating his career.
The Lakers struggled last year when LeBron was off the court as their offense stagnated, and that’s where Westbrook’s value comes in.
He can come in and play with the bench unit, making sure there’s no dip when the Lakers’ biggest stars in Davis and LeBron sit out.
LeBron always finds a way to get the best out of his players, and with a superstar of Westbrook’s talent, he’ll definitely want to find the best way to use him.
We still don’t know if that’ll mean anything when it comes to when LeBron retires, but if Westbrook can even extend that by a few years, there’s a chance LeBron stays for longer than Westbrook.
Plus, there’s the small chance that Westbrook doesn’t play the way the Lakers are hoping he will. If that happens, could they move on from the all time leader in triple doubles? There’s a lot of question marks regarding this move, but those will be answered when the season starts.
