Russell Westbrook is starting a new chapter in his career after being traded from the Washington Wizards to the Los Angeles Lakers a couple of weeks ago. Now Brodie is in an excellent position to win a championship alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The only thing the veteran point guard is missing is a championship. He has a significant opportunity to complete his resumé with a title with the Lakers next year. Russ has received a lot of criticism for his inability to win with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Washington Wizards.
Yet, even now that he’s part of a talented team like the Lakers, Brodie is under pressure to win it all. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith recently claimed that Westbrook must prove he can win a championship after playing alongside great players without success (1:23).
“He just has to prove that he can win a championship. Period. There’s nothing else for left to prove, just to win a championship.”
Then, Smith recalled all the great teammates Russ had during these years, explaining that having all that talent around him and not winning a single title would be bad for Westbrook regardless of how great he’s been in his career.
“Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, James Harden, Victor Oladipo, Paul George, Bradley Beal, and now LeBron James and Anthony Davis were all teammates of you at one point in time. It’s not a good thing if all of those teammates are people that you have, and you don’t have one single championship to show for it. Period. That has to be the priority.”
Although he’s played with incredible players before, this may be Westbrook’s best chance to win the NBA title. He’s gone through a lot in the past couple of seasons, showing his quality on the court but failing to lead his teams to the promised land.
Brodie is ready to change things and get that ring once and for all. The Lakers assembled a terrific squad this summer, and plenty of people want to see what they can do in next year’s playoff. Westbrook is on a mission, and he won’t stop until completing his goal.
