Ever since the Oklahoma City Thunder drafted him over a decade ago,Russell Westbrook has been one of the most controversial and polarizing players in the NBA. Up to this day, the Washington Wizards star continues to draw contrasting takes about his game.
Westbrook is one of the most athletic players to ever lace them up. He can take anyone one-on-one, and his ability to pile up rebounds is unmatched for a player of his size. He’s just a video-game kind of player in real life.
Nonetheless, somehow people seem unimpressed about the fact that he’s en route to average a triple-double for a full season for the fourth time in his career, and that’s whyMilwaukee Bucks legend Oscar Robertson recently called out his critics.
Oscar Robertson Defends Russell Westbrook From His Haters
When asked about whether he wants Westbrook to take him down in the all-time triple-doubles list, Robertson was nothing but supportive of him, claiming that those who call him out for not winning a ring are way out of line:
“There’s no doubt about it. I hope he gets it. I think he’s one of the elite guards in basketball, and I think it’s ridiculous that some sportswriters criticize him because he has not won a championship. Players don’t win championships by themselves. You’ve got to have good management. You need to get with the right group of players,” Robertson told The New York Times.
Robertson went on to add that players are just teaming up to win a ring nowadays, thus making it harder for lone stars to win on their own. That, according to him, didn’t happen as often back in the day:
“Look at Brooklyn: Who could have done this years ago? How things have changed. It seems now that what’s happening in basketball, and I haven’t seen it happen in football yet, is players will get together and say, “Let’s go and play for this team so we can win.” Years ago, you wouldn’t have thought of doing that,” he concluded.
Truth be told, Westbrook draws more criticism for his poor decision-making – especially with the game on the line – rather than for ‘stat-padding’. In fact, his teams have a 70% winning percentage when he gets a triple-double.
But, even if you’re not a fan of his phrenetic play, you can’t discredit a player that’s piled up 179 triple-doubles (and counting) throughout his career. Let’s not normalize one of the most incredible features in NBA history.