“You don’t have a ring after having those teammates” – Stephen A. Smith evaluates Kyrie Irving’s comment on Russell Westbrook
Stephen A. Smith touched on an Kyrie Irving's recent comments on his podcast. He started with praise, but then led to pointing out a major blemish of a former MVP.
Last week, Irving made a bold statment about Russell Westbrook on Instagram. Stating the LA Clippers guard revolutionized the game at the point guard position.
Stephen A. Smith chimed in on this during a recent episode of "The Stephen A. Smith" show. Agreeing that Westbrook is one of the top guards the NBA has ever seen. But, he also pointed out he has nothing to show for it. Most notably that Westbrook never won a ring despite all the stars he's played alongside over the years.
"Russell Westbrook is the most athletic point guard in the history of basketball ... You don't have a ring after having those teammates. That is not good," Smith said.
Breaking down Kyrie’s recent comment on Russell Westbrook pic.twitter.com/go4aS19AR6
Over the years, Westbrook has been flanked by an array of NBA superstars. The list includes Kevin Durant, James Harden, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard and Bradley Beal.
Is Stephen A. Smith right in is statement about Russell Westbrook?
Stephen A. Smith is right to point out that Russell Westbrook has never won a ring. But that is not entirely his fault. There are other factors to consider when breaking down how things have played out in his NBA career.
At the start, Westbrook had his best chance to win a title. On the OKC Thunder, they had him alongside a young Kevin Durant and James Harden. The trio looked the future of the league at one point, but their time together was cut way short. Despite how young they were, they managed to make it to the NBA Finals before being knocked off by LeBron James and the Miami Heat in 2012.
Towards the end of his Thunder tenure, Westbrook had a new star running mate in Paul George. However, that too was short-lived. PG spent just two seasons with the Thunder before demanding a trade to the LA Clippers to team up with Kawhi Leonard.
Since leaving OKC, Westbrook hasn't had much of a chance to contend for a title. He and Harden reunited in Houston, but they didn't have a strong supporting cast. He was then traded to Washington where he and Bradley Beal made the 2021 playoffs in the East.
The LA Lakers took their chance on Westbrook, but their roster construction and injuries led to the team falling way short of expectations.
Given how things have played out for his teams over the years, Stephen A. Smith isn't entirely right to call out Westbrook for being ringless.