After Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook and his wife Nina responded to his criticism, ESPN host and analyst Stephen A. Smith responded by clarifying that his statements were not meant to bash his character.
But after applauding Nina Westbrook for defending her husband and saying that Westbrook is “the most athletic point guard in the history of basketball,” Smith stood by his comments that question the 2017 MVP’s lack of championship and playoff success.
My full response to Russell and Nina Westbrook. pic.twitter.com/L4Af14a5KH
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 31, 2021
Smith made the comments on First Take, where after complimenting Russell Westbrook for his on-court accomplishments as well as what he’s done for his community, he challenged the 32-year-old guard to win a championship.
The ESPN analyst went on to highlight Westbrook’s losses in the playoffs with the Oklahoma City Thunder, including their loss to the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, as well as the Houston Rockets. Smith mentioned that Westbrook had the chance to team up with All-Stars like Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Paul George, and reached the Conference Finals four times, but has no titles to show for it.
And regarding the nine-time All-Star’s comments about how a championship will not change his life, Smith said that championships matter in the culture of basketball where he came from. While he said that Westbrook is indeed a champion in life as he claimed, he also wanted to see more from the two-time NBA scoring champion and wants to see him lift the Larry O’Brien trophy at some point in his career.
Smith first made the comments after Russell Westbrook broke the Wizards’ franchise record for most triple-doubles after recording his 16th with Washington on Monday, after which the Westbrook’s responded.
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