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As an NBA fan, it is common to wonder how frustrated Russell Westbrook's teammates can feel playing alongside the reigning MVP, as he has the ball in his hands very often. Westbrook's high statistics in multiple categories and triple-double records have earned him the nickname “Mr. Triple-Double”, but also “ballhog,” “stat-padder,” and “stat chaser.” In an interview with NewsOK's Brett Dawson, Westbrook claims he is the only player who people wonder if others have fun playing with:
“Every (year) I’ve been here, playing with guys, they enjoy playing with me and competing. I think I’m the only one in the league that has that tag of it, ‘Is it a joy to play with this guy? Is it fun to play with this guy?’ But that’s fine. I’m OK with that. It doesn’t do anything. As long as my guys, my teammates have fun and enjoy the game of basketball, that’s all that matters.”
Westbrook also spoke about his former teammates playing better on new teams and if it bothers him when people use this as an argument against him:
“No, that’s great, actually. That means they learned something. They learned something, man. I don’t really care. You know that about me by now. I don’t really care what people say, good or bad. It really doesn’t matter. All that matters is the relationship I have with the people that was here or that left here — what they learned, what they didn’t learn. That’s all the matters. I think I’m the only player in the league that they want to say ‘When people leave me…,’ but that’s great. That’s good for me. I feel like when you’re talking about me, I’m doing something right. So I really don’t worry, really don’t care. It doesn’t bother me none. I have relationships with different guys that were here. We talk. That’s all that matters. That doesn’t bother me.”
It is fair for Westbrook to question how other people see him due to his big box score numbers. But there is also a humble man behind the persona of OKC's superstar point guard.
