What seemed impossible years ago is now a reality: Russell Westbrook passed Oscar Robertson and is now the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles.
Westbrook is also the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for multiple seasons (4 and counting, 3 of them consecutive), yet it seems like he doesn’t get the praise and recognition he deserves.
That’s why ESPN analyst Jay Williams compared him to NFL quarterback Cam Newton, claiming that they both play with a drive and effort no one else has, yet people will never give them enough credit:
“Russell Westbrook will never get the credit that he deserves. He will never get it, you know why? He’s the Cam Newton of the NBA. He’s the polarizing figure that people like to find something wrong with. Hey, look, we have Stephen A. saying like ‘we’ve seen you do it before, we’ve seen you get a triple-double before’ – a lot of casual basketball fans say ‘he’s just a stat filler. Do you know how hard is it to get a triple-double almost every night?” Williams said.
“He’s the Cam Newton of the NBA.”@RealJayWilliams explains why Russell Westbrook will never get the credit he deserves. #KJZ pic.twitter.com/fXoR8YYZxA
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio (@UnSportsESPN) May 10, 2021
Williams has quite a valid comparison right here. Both Newton and Westbrook were MVPs and unique at their craft, one as a triple-double machine and the other as one of the most dominant dual-threat quarterbacks in the world.
Both Westbrook and Newton reached the NBA Finals and Super Bowl but couldn’t win the ultimate prize, and that’s what everybody is constantly using against them. But that’s just not fair.
Russell Westbrook has made it such a habit of getting triple-doubles that people who have never dribbled a basketball in their life somehow think that’s normal. Well, it’s not.
We should stop taking greatness for granted, and even if Westbrook never wins a ring or even makes it back to the NBA Finals, he’s still one of the greatest to ever do it. Hopefully, history will give him his place as such.
