If you are a basketball fan, you know that Russell Westbrook is one of the most exciting players to watch in the NBA. Just how great is the 32-year old Washington Wizards point guard? Great enough to pass the legendary Oscar ‘Big O’ Robertson in career triple-doubles!
The Wizards may have lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night, but Westbrook claimed his rightful place as one of the NBA’s all time greats. The tenth rebound that Westbrook grabbed in the fourth quarter officially broke Robertson’s record by giving him an insane 182 career triple-doubles (double figures in 3 different stat categories). The 6-3 Long Beach California native finished the game with a Hall of Fame type statline of 28 points, 21 assists, and 13 rebounds (Fox News)!
Here are three reasons why Westbrook is one of the best guards in NBA history.
Although Small in Size, Westbrook’s Durability is Uncanny
Basketball is an incredibly physical sport, so it is immensely difficult for any player to have a long career without any major injuries. Westbrook is always in the starting lineup, even in this new era of so-called ‘load management’. He has led the NBA in games played four different times, ranks 15th on the active list with 940 games played, and averages 34.7 minutes per contest which is seventh on the active list.
In an age where many superstars mail it in if their team is out of the playoff race, or even over exaggerate a nagging injury to get some time off, it is refreshing to see a guy with a true warrior mentality like Westbrook. Though this is his 13th season in the NBA, Westbrook shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
The Guy Can Do It All
Can you believe a point guard like Westbrook has nearly 7,000 rebounds in his career? His height has never held him back from crashing the boards and fighting for loose balls. Westbrook proves that rebounding is more about heart and tenacity than it is about size.
Need a primetime scorer on your team? Westbrook is your guy for that as well. Almost 22,000 career points scored attests to that. Westbrook’s teammates often refer to him as “Beastbrook” because of his ability to always know how to score.
What about passing ability? Again, Westbrook is no stranger to finding his open teammates. Three times he has led the NBA in assists per game, including this season.
Surely such an offensively gifted player would be prone to being lax on defense, right? Nope, not Westbrook. He has over 1,600 career steals and also 293 blocked shots!
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Westbrook has been selected to 9 All Star teams so far in his career. In 2016-2017, Westbrook was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. Ten times he has made either the All Rookie or All NBA team.
With all of these dazzling numbers, Westbrook should be a lock to make the Basketball Hall of Fame. The crazy thing is he could have six or seven good years left to go!