If there were such a thing as NBA doppelgängers, then one of the first pairs that comes to mind is Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and new Denver Nuggets bench spark plug Russell Westbrook. Not only was the physical, big-bodied point guard prototype that most NBA fans associate with Russell Westbrook one that was created by Robertson decades earlier, but what is arguably Westbrook's most well-known career accomplishment — the career record for triple-doubles — was one that was long considered to be an unbreakable mark set by the Big O.
To take the comparison to Oscar Robertson even further, Russell Westbrook's stubbornness and demonstrative nature is right out of the Big O playbook. And for as talented and accomplished as both of these star guards were, their prickly demeanor has made them easy targets for particularly nitpicky members of the media… an unfortunate reality that was as true in Robertson's day as it is now.
Enough time has gone by that nobody is challenging 85-year-old Robertson's standing among NBA legends, but Russell Westbrook is still something of an easy target. So when speaking with Joey Linn of Sports Illustrated, the Big O was eager to stand up for his spiritual successor.
“For some strange reason, I don't know why they want to keep blaming everything that happens on him. When he plays he is dynamic, he gives the team a spark. Then all of a sudden they don't care for him, they don't want him.”
Oscar Robertson has been a very public supporter of Russell Westbrook for years, often offering congratulatory messages as Westbrook overtook every triple-double related record that the Big O had held for decades.
“I went to see him when he broke my record in Oklahoma,” Robertson added, alluding to when Westbrook became the first player since Robertson to average a triple double for an entire season. “He is a tremendous athlete. He made tremendous contributions to basketball in Oklahoma and the people there.”
Russell Westbrook hopes to carve out role with Denver Nuggets
After spending the first 11 years of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Westbrook has since bounced around the league, taking the floor for four different teams over the last six seasons. The primary issue that has prevented Russ from finding a more permanent home has been his unwillingness — or inability — to adapt to a role where his usage rate is not among the highest in the league.
Westbrook has certainly shown glimpses of this, proving to have the ability to impact games as a slasher and rebounder and one-man transition offense, but the returns just haven't been as consistent as one would hope. However, in Denver, playing with a star as malleable as Nikola Jokic, one would think that Westbrook's best traits could be on display in a much more controlled and successful environment than he's been in over the past few years.
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