Russell Westbrook has been through countless obstacles on his NBA journey, and, all along the way, skeptics and haters have questioned his game. This season, of course, has been no different.
With the Wizards struggling to stay afloat, Russ has gotten the brunt of the blame from fans and analysts alike.
Except, with D.C. clawing their way back to relevance during this final stretch, folks are finally giving the star guard is due, including ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, who suggested he could surpass Allen Iverson on the NBA’s all-time list.
“Russell Westbrook will come out as a better player than Allen Iverson,” he said on Twitter.
All due respect to the legend & Icon Allen Iverson, but the BRODIE Russell Westbrook will go down as the better player all time, yeah I said it!! Gather round for Masterperk Theater on @sportsnation and carry the hell on!! pic.twitter.com/t1yIu4Pyi6
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 30, 2021
Naturally, many fans aren’t convinced, especially given the glaring and obvious flaws in Westbrook’s game.
Perk buffed up his claim in a follow-up Tweet.
Playoff appearances — Iverson: 8, Russ: 10
All Star games — Iverson: 11, Russ: 9
MVPs — 1 each
Reached NBA Finals — 1 each
All-NBA — Iverson: 7, Russ: 9
Scoring leader — Iverson: 4, Russ: 2
Total pts — Iverson: 24,368, Russ: 21,605
Triple doubles — Iverson: 1, Russ: 176
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 30, 2021
Allen Iverson isn’t one with an easy legacy to surpass.
But one cannot deny the level of impact he has on his team. As a multi-faceted guard, with undeniable talent as a leader, his presence has made the Wizards an opponent to be feared.
The question is, can Russ win at a high level? To truly surpass A.I., and other All-Time greats, the Wizards star will have to start performing when it matters most, and his team will have to start making waves at the highest level.
This season, it’s clear that Westbrook is doing all he can, averaging 21.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 11 assists per game on 43.7% shooting.
