Russell Westbrook Calls it a Career
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Russell Westbrook shockingly retired from the NBA today. Let’s discuss.
To be honest, I thought he still had some seasons left in him. It always felt like his engine was never going to run out, and if a team was willing to take a chance on him, he'd give it his all. Hell, Sacramento is back to being a dumpster fire, but Westbrook still showed up every single game ready to go and played his ass off every night when he was put in the game. But it was also very aware that his skill set had been diminishing for the past couple of seasons.
I was one of the people who thought he would really help out the Nuggets last season. It seemed like he could bring a good change of pace off the bench and make the Nuggets second unit fast and fun. And while he had his moments, he was basically played out of the rotation in the playoffs. He just couldn't keep up with the youth of the Timberwolves.
His two previous seasons, with the Clippers, was a nice homecoming, but it didn't change much for that franchise. They still found ways to blow it in the playoffs, or every important player was injured when it came down to the important games. He also missed 2/3 of his first season with the Clippers. That was when the injuries really started to rear their head.
But it was the three seasons before that, all with the Lakers, that really showed me, a big fan of his, that he might have been washed up. LeBron wanted him in LA, on his team, and it was a total mess. Those Lakers teams never meshed, and Westbrook seemed like the common scapegoat for all of their issues. He did last three seasons with the team, but he only held them back. He never averaged more than 18 points, and his explosive athleticism was diminishing rapidly.
Before his time with the Lakers, Westbrook was one of my favorite players to watch. During his time with the Thunder he was easily one of my favorite players and, I don't think I'm speaking out of line here, was one of the 15 best players in the whole league. We are talking about a player who averaged a triple double over multiple seasons. I know some of the stat-obsessed nerds, the analytic guys, the Zach Lowe's of the world, all tried to downplay what he did, but what he did was incredible. I was all about him winning his MVP. He kept the Thunder as a playoff caliber team after Kevin Durant left them for the Warriors. That was when Westbrook was at his best. He wouldn't let that team crumble and become a joke. He played super hard every night, did whatever it took for that team to win enough games to be in the playoffs and more than earned his MVP. He kept me being a Thunder fan for a few years after KD left. It wasn't because they had Serge Ibaka or Andre Roberson. It was all about Westbrook. He took the necessary leap and proved that he was the type of player that could lead the team. But that didn't translate to much playoff success, unfortunately. Westbrook did all that he could and then some, but when you are surrounded by mid level exception players, first and second round exits are the norm. And even when Westbrook left and went to the Rockets, I held no ill will towards him. He had won an MVP, been an all NBA player, did something no player had done since Oscar Robertson, but he didn't have the championship that most pros crave. He probably also wanted to team up with James Harden again. That didn't work out, and that was when the journeyman part of his career began. I mentioned the Kings, Nuggets, Clipper and Lakers. He also had a top in Houston, as mentioned before, and he even spent a season with the Wizards, teaming up with Bradley Beal and making the Wizards a playoff caliber team. But it was those Thunder years that I will remember most. The way he would fly up and down the floor. His vicious attacks at the rim on a drive. The way he would snag rebounds and get a fastbreak started. His elbow jumper that felt like it was almost always going in. His deep breath before shooting a free throw. That is the Russell Westbrook I will think about when I look back on his career.
My biggest question though, the one I just debated with my son about, as much as I adore Westbrook, I do not think he will be a Hall of Fame player in the end. He has all the big awards, but he is incredibly polarizing, and he doesn't have that ring. I think that maybe, with some time away, more and more people will grow to respect what he did, and realize he had a great career, but I just don't think he is Hall of Fame caliber. I also wouldn't rule out a return. If some team needs a last season addition at point guard, or wants a veteran to help out a rookie, I'd call Westbrook before anyone else. Time will tell. But for now, enjoy retirement Russ. You have earned a much deserved rest from basketball.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.
