Life for the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers hasn't been easy this season, going just 13-12. While injuries have taken their toll on LA, it's also taken time for Russell Westbrook to get settled and make an impact.

We know that Russ is controversial at times, which led to a league executive comparing him to Allen Iverson. Via ESPN's Dave McMenamin:

“Russ reminds me of Allen Iverson, wanting to win but wanting to win on his terms,” one Eastern Conference executive told ESPN. “If he can take a step back and win with the Lakers, it will validate everything else he's done in the league.”

Well, Westbrook didn't take kindly to that comparison and hit back on how he really feels about himself as a player, and his aspirations with the Lakers in 2021/22:

“I disagree for multiple reasons,” Westbrook told ESPN. “No. 1, I believe that I am a one-of-a-kind player, and I respect Allen and respect everything he's done for the game, but I'm not comparable to Allen Iverson by any means. No. 2, is that I've been probably — I feel, myself — always trying to fit in to do the best for the betterment of the team. And I've always done that in my career, and I'll continue to do that and whatever happens, happens. If we win a championship, cool. If we don't, I'm OK with that too and life goes on.”

Of course, the Lakers' ultimate goal is to return to the promised land and win a ring. But, Westbrook realizes that all he can do is play at the highest level possible. The veteran has improved drastically after a dreadful start with Los Angeles, averaging 20.4 points, 7.8 boards, and 8.7 assists per game. He's still turning the ball over at an alarming rate (4.8 per game), but to be fair, those numbers were eerily similar last season.

Los Angeles finally has LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russ healthy together and hopefully, they can start to build more chemistry and find a rhythm. Lots of critics say Westbrook doesn't fit in the Lakers' system, but he's starting to prove them wrong.