"Humbly speaking, there's no better" - Russell Westbrook makes a bold claim that he is the best rebounder of all time at the point guard spot
Russell Westbrook called himself the best rebounder in the point guard position in the NBA. On Sunday, the former MVP grabbed 10 boards in the LA Clippers' 115-110 Game 1 win over the Phoenix Suns. Westbrook's rebounding led to him averaging a triple-double for four seasons and becoming the league's all-time leader in triple-doubles.
His intensity and athletic ability have been crucial to his skillset. Westbrook reflected on his strength, saying (via Rob Parker on Twitter):
"It's timing, it's the will to win... And at this possession, humbly speaking, there's no better rebounder than me."
“Humbly speaking.”
The best.
youtube.com/live/E8uTofSgy… https://t.co/aNBRDaIRdW
Russell Westbrook has recorded 7964 rebounds in his career. This is the second-most for any point guard in NBA history. He only trails Jason Kidd, who had 8,402 rebounds in his career. Westbrook averages 7.3 boards per game and will likely surpass Kidd before he calls time on his career.
Westbrook has averaged over 10 rebounds per game in a season four times in his career, the most for any point guard. Oscar Robertson is the only other player to achieve the feat. Robertson had three seasons in which he averaged at least 10 rebounds.
Russell Westbrook does a little bit of everything as LA Clippers edge past Phoenix Suns in Game 1
Russell Westbrook dug into his all-around skills to ensure he helped the LA Clippers take Game 1 against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. Westbrook shot only 3-of-19, scoring nine points. However, it didn't matter much as he contributed in other areas.
Westbrook had 10 rebounds, nine assists, two steals, and three blocks. That included a game-winning block over Devin Booker. The Clippers were up three with 10 seconds left when Westbrook swatted Booker's layup attempt and threw the ball off his leg. The Clippers gained extra possession and proceeded to win 115-110.
RUSSELL WESTBROOK WITH THE GAME WINNING BLOCK ON DEVIN BOOKER
https://t.co/JeYm9IRxlQ
It's a testament to Russell Westbrook's ability as an all-around threat, something the LA Clippers have fed off since his acquisition in the buyout market. The Clippers needed that from the potential Hall of Famer, as they were without All-Star Paul George.
Kawhi Leonard handled things in the scoring department, going off for 38 points on 54.2% shooting. Meanwhile, Eric Gordon had 19 points, while three other Clippers also tallied double-digit scores.
The Clippers have entered this series as underdogs, but if Westbrook continues to make winning plays like this, they might have a solid chance of bagging the series. Taking away homecourt advantage off the Suns in Game 1 was crucial to the grand scheme of things, so LA is on track to cause an upset.