Russell Westbrook on still being a Free Agent
“I don’t (think about it) honestly. I love playing basketball and if it happens, it works and that’s my plan”.
They did Russ dirty with the way the cameras are angled. Dude looks tiny
Looks Earl Boykins size here lmao
When he grows up he’s gonna be Earl Mankins
Fr lol
I’ve seen him somewhat close at a game and he’s built like a tank
I think he’s like 6’3 but he looks taller too
I swear he’s always looked like 6’5” just cause of his shoulders
Facts man, he looks at least a couple inches taller than Steph, but ya he’s got those crazy wide shoulders, very built kinda like a mini Dwight LeBron or Kawhi
Rare to see guards that height like that
He’s a tall 6’3, he’s basically a weak 6’4
Yeah you’re right, at least to me he seemed taller than 6’3
Plus he’s built like a running back so he just looks larger than other point guards around his height
Wittle Westbrook
They probably set the cameras up in a way that takes into consideration that he’s a tall NBA player but they overdid it
He honestly had a fantastic career. He’s going to the Hall of Fame. Yeah, he didn’t win a chip but a lot of great players didn’t. That’s a team sport accomplishment, not one person
The one knock I would give him is that he never really adapted his game to try to fit in better once he lost some of his athleticism. Dude should never shoot the ball from further than about 12 ft from the basket
He might be one of the worst shooters of all time
Rockets and Wizards Westbrook were probably the closest he got to changing up his game, and in two different sort of ways too. Really enjoyed the Mega Rondo form of Russ in DC and Rockets micro ball was really nice until he tore his quad and got early covid. He’s such a strange and interesting player, stoked to see him in the HOF soon enough
I still think the 2020 Rockets could’ve worked if it wasn’t for covid and they saved it for the playoffs
His quad injury and Covid really killed his momentum that Rockets season. He averaged a VERY efficient 30+ from the new year. Was in mvp talks too.
He played the same way he always plays on those teams
Russ had the talent to be the #1 on a championship winner, but it would require such a specific team that it wasn’t feasible. Great player and if nothing else, an all-time first-team meme factory.
What? He did nothing to change his game on the Rockets, the rockets completely changed their roster for him by moving their only big Capela for a small ball 5 in Covington.
Capela was already out for the season and Tucker played the 5
Capela was out for the rest of the year with injury
He’s had way too many injuries affect his shooting. It’s not for a lack of trying to adapt his game. Look at his shooting in his MVP year and his numbers/clutch performancd is decent. Injuries have slowly eroded his game/shot
The one knock I would give him is that he never really adapted his game to try to fit in better once he lost some of his athleticism.
Aka someone who knows nothing about his game but because he isn’t a 40% 3pt shooter he suddenly hasn’t changed anything about his game.
I mean him not catering his game to the team is much of the reason why he never won a ring. One of the most fun players to watch and all-time regular season player but his game has never fit playoffs basketball where the pace slows and half-court offense is everything.
Ehh. Go watch his mvp season. He made so many plays in the halfcourt. He was doing everything that season. If he had any help on that team they could’ve won a playoff series or two.
He should have stopped shooting the pull-up 3s and the early shot-clock 3s, and he largely did in the latest part of his career. Going the Ben Simmons route of being afraid to look at the basket is worse than being a bad shooter.
There’s about a year and a half stretch in his career where he shouldn’t have been shooting the ball within 12 ft of the basket either.
I don’t have anything else to say except Russell Westbrook is my favorite player of all time, full stop. Damn the stats, damn the ring chasing crap, damn the “not a winning player” nonsense.
His entire career he’s made fantastic television, and left his heart on the hardwood. Russ reminds me of why I love basketball every time I watch him play, and that’s worth more than anything else. Brodie is a forever legend.
I feel like, other than Kobe, Jordan, Steph and Kai Sotto, Russ has one of the most active, vocal online fanbases defending him, and I always appreciate seeing that
Who tf is Kai Sotto?
The famous cricket player?
When he came to the Clips, he won me over and became my favorite player as well for the same reasons. Even though we got an older version of him, I still loved watching him play his heart out every night, every play. Despite the flaws in his game, he’s the type of player you can’t help but cheer for. Also a class act off the court.
Completely agree. So much fun to watch no matter if it’s a regular season game or a playoff game.
He is washed, but I think OKC should sign him to honor him.
They’re not going to
Why won’t your team offer Brick a vet min then? Lmfao
Toxic for no reason
Buddy you’re a Knicks fan. Stop it.
Ok? You’re the one being toxic in this thread lmao
Toxic? I asked a simple question? OKC loves to run to his defense and act like they love him but can’t even offer him a vet min to play his last days with some dignity. All these years and they’ve never once made a move to get a supposed franchise legend back
This guy is not Mr. OKC himself lmao, he was talking about why he personally is a fan. You asked that question to be an ass. What does their personal fandom have to do with why teams don’t want him rn? Don’t pretend you weren’t being toxic lol
Don’t shoot the messenger 😜
What does him getting another contract have to do with anything about the guy saying he likes Westbrook?
Stop being fucking toxic just cause your life sucks.
Another one with the ‘must end every sentence with lol or lmfao’ tic. There’s help for people like you.
Lmfao
Do they even have the space? They’ve lost multiple guys this offseason for financial reasons.
Why is this on CNN? lol
Because they have 24 hours of ‘news’ to fill so they always need puff pieces.
At least it was focused on the positives of his community work, though.
Must’ve been slow news day
It means no one is picking up the phone at NBA front offices, so it’s time to generate some buzz
Russ should just play overseas. He’d be a king in China!
He would unironically become one of the most beloved players ever there due to his electric play style. He could make obscene endorsement money if he went that route.
It would never happen but if he came to the NBL the league would explode
I mean he still averaged 15 and almost 7 assists at 30 min per game. Yeah it was with the Kings but he has to be a decent bench piece with someone. I mean Jordan Clarkson was great for us, even changed his game to be more of a rebounder and hustle player. Maybe Westbrook can do the same.
15 and 7 on poor efficiency on a bad team
Get him to dubai bc I will pay just to see him live
If he could fully embrace the Josh hart role he’d be amazing. Very very rarely is Josh ever asked to carry offense. Just do everything else.
He looked the part at times with the Nuggets imo
He certainly has the same engine, better even.
He’s too old and not as good as Hart
Play overseas, it will be a great opportunity for someone who can’t shoot but still has that “it” factor
It? He has never had a winning play style.
Has literally been in the Finals
Oh didn’t you get the memo? Every player ever sucks at basketball!
People kinda just choose to ignore Russ’ career pre-KD leaving when they talk about him sometimes.
Some may be choosing to ignore it but its probably just young fans who never bothered watching/learning about the game that came before them
Nice, he still doesn’t contribute to winning.
I love Russ, he’s a tragic hero. So passionate, electric, and also flawed. The thing that’s crazy and not talked about enough: his ft% was in the 80s his first 4 seasons and then fell off a cliff; he’s been in 60s last 7 seasons. That’s a bit unprecedented no? Weird at the least… Something changed psychologically. But he’s still the man
Felt he’s been pretty overrated for a long time, but then you go back and look at the MVP year and he shot 84.5% FT and 34.3% on 3P on high volume. It really was a fantastic season.
His career has been steadily trending downward since then and I don’t put as much stock in being a stat machine on irrelevant teams as some do, but the other thing that struck me is that he had a whole HoF career before he even left OKC. He played 11 seasons there. If he retired after he left, he would be looked upon very favorably.
I’m more forgiving of the journeyman phase of his career when I consider that most NBA players are involuntarily retired well before year 12. The fact that he could fall off and still play another decade in the league is a testament to his level. The list of guys who are still viable NBA players at age 38 is going to be a very short one.
Didn’t that FT thing coincide with that rule that prevented him from doing his ritual (walking backwards to half court and then walking back to the FT line)?
It’s really messed up that okc wouldn’t bring him just for vibes. He’s their franchise goat before shai came along
It’s weird because a lot of players say they really liked him in the locker room but there’s a long history of players that have stuck around because they’re good for the locker room. Deandre Jordan for example.
The fact that he would be going on his 7th team since the 2019-2020 season is not a good indicator. Possible he gets along great players but not with coaches or the front office.
I wish he’d just go to China. He’d feast there, and could probably play another 3-4 years and be the next Starbury. He seems very in-tune to all the online chatter though, and certain “fans” have made playing in China be insulting.
I hope he’s able to play on another team, truly. If they can get the original okc trio back on the SuperSonics for each of their last seasons that would be crazy
Nah. Harden was barely there man. Russ and harden never played for Seattle.
Russ did play for Seattle
Prove it
If you look at what team he was drafted by, and what jersey he wore at the beginning of of his rookie year you’d see
He never played a second as a Sonic bud
Russ was drafted by Seattle. He did not play for Seattle, only Durant did.
This is the only real picture I’ve ever seen of Westbrook actually wearing a Sonics jersey.
Drafted by Seattle in the offseason Seattle was moving to OKC, he never actually played in Seattle and it was in name only. Seattle wasn’t a team his rookie season
I kinda want to see him back in OKC for the end of career arc.
“There’s always the YMCA.”
Thought he was going overseas
I’m saw Russ in person, I’m 6’2 and he’s definitely taller than me
For all we know though that interviewer is 7’2”.
Don’t say I’m mad, I’m not mad.
😭
Bro 18 years is actually insane to think about, and despite inefficiency he’s steal a great athlete. Russ is really such a weird player in the history of it all.
Cool 18 second clip I guess?
Where’s the rest of it?
OKC or Spurs should go after him!!!!!🙏🙏🙏🙏
Westbrook is still a quality NBA player, I don’t know how you could argue otherwise
The problem with guys like him and even someone like Carmelo, is that they don’t fully settle into the lesser role and it’s probably a headache for coaches and players alike.
Westbrook will never and has never had the ego Carmelo had
Ok? Didn’t say he did
But he still proposes a similar problem of not being able to fully commit to a lesser role, which is why he’s in his current position
Westbrook still had an ego regardless
Russell “defense mechanism” Westbrook
Hope he also loves learning Chinese
Sure buddy
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