Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook was at the receiving end of criticism by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on Tuesday. Westbrook, who recently put up impressive numbers, was told that his numbers don’t mean anything because he has no championships.
Utmost respect to Russell Westbrook, but last night’s numbers mean absolutely nothing to me. pic.twitter.com/FRaanNyHpn
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 30, 2021
After Smith's criticism, Westbrook became only the second player in NBA history to average 25 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in three games. Brodie also broke the Wizards’ triple-double record after just his 38th game this season.
When asked postgame about what he felt about Smith’s comments, Westbrook did not hold back and said that winning a championship doesn’t change his life. Growing up in the streets and making it to the NBA alone is already an achievement in itself.
Russell Westbrook gave a 2-and-a-half minute answer in response to a question about @stephenasmith’s comments on First Take: “A championship don't change my life. I'm happy. I was a champion once I made it to the NBA. I grew up in the streets. I'm a champion.”
Full quote here: pic.twitter.com/wcceIzqQlg
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) March 31, 2021
Russell Westbrook indeed has a point in this matter. A championship does not discredit everything he has achieved in his career. The Wizards guard is already considered one of the most athletic point guards to ever play the game. To constantly fill the stat sheets like he does throughout his career is just a testament to how incredible he is a basketball player.
To add to how good of a scorer, rebounder and passer Westbrook is, he’s also a great teammate–fans can even ask Bradley Beal this. He a leader and someone who will do anything he can to win. It’s more than enough to shut the critics down, especially those that only care about championship rings.
It’s hard for a ton of people, especially basketball talking heads, to appreciate someone like Russell Westbrook because he doesn’t have a championship ring to prove his case. But true fans or those that appreciate the game know that the Wizards leader is indeed one of a kind–a player that doesn’t come around the game as often as others think
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