Russell Westbrook is one of the most polarizing players in NBA history. He’s incredibly talented and one of the most athletic players to ever do it. He plays with a never-ending grit and passion, yet he seems reluctant to learn from his mistakes.
Westbrook continues to take shots despite being a poor shooter. He continues to take matters into his own hands despite always being surrounded by elite scorers, and he continues to show no remorse for costing his teams when it matters the most.
That’s why Skip Bayless believes that he’s never going to win a ring, as he continues to play for him and his statistics rather than realize that basketball is a team sport and that he must share the wealth:
“I hate to say this because I have rooted for the last 3 years for a Russell Westbrook that I never loved with KD (…) but there is no way he is going to win a ring. I’m not even sure what his future in the league is right now because he’s proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s nothing but a solo star, who’s more of a solo act in a team sport,” Bayless started.
“Nobody plays harder than Russ does but he’s mostly playing for Russ, not for the team and not for the scoreboard. He’s playing for statistics,” Bayless concluded.
I'm not even sure what Russ’ future in this league is right now because he has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's nothing but a solo star in a team sport. More @Undisputed, now on FS1 https://t.co/IyMtTMsSCt
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) November 12, 2020
Westbrook requested a trade out of the Houston Rockets but it doesn’t seem like a contending team would be willing to give up much for him and his astronomically high deal. At the end of the day, his incredible numbers and milestones have translated into three straight first-round exits in Oklahoma and another disappointing ending to the season with the Rockets.
Russell just turned 32 and he’s coming off multiple knee surgeries. He hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down but he doesn’t know how to not play at 100 mph every single possession, which also raises a lot of questions about his durability in the league.
There’s no denying his talent and ability to put up huge numbers but as of today, it does seem like he’s never going to be able to win a ring, at least not as one of the alpha dogs.
