Even before he made it to the NBA, Russell Westbrook was already drawing contrasting takes. Some said he was a tweener shooting guard, some said he couldn't shoot at all, some thought he'd be a legend. Now, he's Los Angeles Lakers' fans favorite guy to hate.
Westbrook has vastly regressed since the start of the season. He's shown all of the negative traits of his game but none of the explosive, stat-sheet-stuffing magic he brought with him during his early days.
That's why ESPN's Stephen A. Smith took some time to take a big shot at him, calling him out for constantly falling short of an NBA championship despite having a plethora of elite teammates by his side.
Stephen A. Smith Calls Out Russell Westbrook In A Huge Rant
(Transcript via Fadeaway World)
"If you're Russell Westbrook, these are your teammates: Kevin Durant, James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, Victor Oladipo, Paul George, James Harden again, Bradley Beal, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. And you don't have one single title to show for it.
If you're Russell Westbrook and you got two or three big-time players in basketball, you are formidable. You are in the picture. Somewhere at some point in time, you're supposed to come over the hump. We are now at a point in time where Russell Westbrook, the only reason we would say he ain’t getting traded is ‘cause of his salary, that the Lakers would GIVE him away. He ain't even an All-Star this year.
We're gonna get to a point where we're saying 'all these guys you played with and not one championship to show for it.' People are gonna look at him, and he's gotta accept that."
Westbrook is one of the most talented and physically gifted players of all time. He's got a big, nearly certain case to make the Hall of Fame. But his stubbornness and reluctance to adapt and change his game will forever be a huge stain on his career.
