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“Russell Westbrook Is a Good Sidekick”: When Shaquille O’Neal Inadvertently Undermined Lakers PG’s Role in Kevin Durant’s OKC

Adit Pujari
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“Russell Westbrook Is a Good Sidekick”: When Shaquille O’Neal Inadvertently Undermined Lakers PG’s Role in Kevin Durant’s OKC

Shaquille O’Neal in his book Shaq Uncut shared his insight into the legendary Oklahoma Thunder City squad. He claimed that Kevin Durant was an exceptional talent. Shaq also suggested that Durant was fearless and a great leader. However, on the other hand, O’Neal deemed Russell Westbrook a sidekick.

In his own head, Shaq was probably praising Westbrook. After all, being a sidekick in the NBA is not at all different than being a Robin or a Spock. In fact, there are millions of people who would exchange their entire lives to just be the sidekick to Durant.

But that is not the case with Russell Westbrook. Brodie is a star in himself. And despite his recent struggles, Russ has established himself as one of the greatest players of the modern era. But at the start of Westbrook’s career, Shaq disagreed with him.

Also read: “I Didn’t Say he was a Bum, I Love Klay Thompson”: Charles Barkley Responds to Warriors Guard Expressing Hurt on his ‘Father Time’ Comments

Shaquille O’Neal inadvertently dissed Russell Westbrook

The way Shaq writes about Russ and KD, one can easily understand his good nature. He was obviously trying to motivate both these then-upcoming stars.

But even in his good nature, Shaquille O’Neal made the mistake of limiting Westbrook to the role of a sidekick. This is, in all fairness, disrespectful to everything he has achieved in his career.

Shaq: “I love Kevin Durant. I love the way he plays. He’s aggressive. He’s fearless. He’s a quiet leader, seems to have a lot of poise. Russell Westbrook is a good sidekick with a lot of talent and a lot of confidence. He should probably pass the rock a little more to the big fella, though.”

Perhaps O’Neal saw hints of Kobe Bryant and himself in KD and Brodie. He may have seen two exceptional talents on the team and drawn a parallel to his own life.

Westbrook’s downward spiral should not define his career

There has been a recent trend of attacking Westbrook. His last season’s bad spell has spilled into the ongoing season. Brodie has struggled to find his footing and it is necessary to criticize his current performance.

That being said, it’s also important to acknowledge what he has done in his career. He is a 1-time MVP, a 2-time scoring champ, and 3-time Assists Champ. Brodie has the most triple-doubles in the league’s history. So, despite how great Kevin Durant is, it is difficult to acknowledge Russ as just a sidekick.

Also read: Jerry Seinfeld Attends Nets Game After “Kyrie Irving Antisemitic” Post Gains National Attention 

About the author

Adit Pujari

Adit Pujari

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Adit Pujari is an NBA Journalist and Strategist at The SportsRush. He formerly worked as a debate and writing trainer. An avid fan of Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, Adit began following the league in 2007. With the Lakers and Boston Celtics rivalry ripe, he found himself hooked to the sport immediately. After 15 years of religiously following the league, he decided to use his knowledge base as a sports writer in 2021. Since then, he has worked as an NBA writer, led a team of MLB writers, and has now joined The SportsRush. In his spare time, Adit loves playing pickup games and exploring hidden Himalayan trails.

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