“This could be his last season, but so what?” - Chris Broussard says Russell Westbrook could be out of the league soon but it won’t affect his legacy
Russell Westbrook leaving the league soon would not affect his legacy just because of his poor form in the past two seasons. He has done far too many great things to be remembered negatively. Westbrook is the all-time leader in triple-doubles in NBA history, to name one of his achievements.
Analyst Chris Broussard raised questions about Westbrook's possible exit from the game having an impact on his legacy. He said:
“This could be his last season, but so what?”
Russell Westbrook has made great waves across his career. He has contributed greatly to each squad he has ever been on. He runs the floor with a rare level of quickness and aggression.
Broussard continued:
“It’s his 15th year, or no, I think it’ll be his 14th. Carmelo Anthony, what have the last few years been like for him? It’s been embarrassing, but is it gonna impact his legacy? No. People are going to remember the great Carmelo Anthony.”
He continued:
“Let’s keep it real, [Carmelo] did not have as much success as Russell Westbrook winning games, playing in big games. Carmelo didn’t win nearly as many playoff series as Westbrook, certainly didn’t do anything historic like average a triple-double like Westbrook.”
Reasons like these are why Broussard believes that Russell will be remembered for his all-star speed and level of play. To solely remember him for a failed experiment in LA in his later years who was irresponsible as a fan and viewer.
There could be arguments made for each superstar across history for their faltering success nearing the end of their careers. If we all only focused on that, the conversations regarding the greats would come across much differently.
If this were to be Russell’s last season, the narrative would unfold as a simple chemistry hiccup that could not be addressed in a seasons time. Sometimes there are squads and players that need more than a year together to develop the trust and flow they need on the floor. That time could even be required amongst LA, where some of the greatest players to ever do it currently reside.
Carmelo Anthony had a notably poorer season than Russell did last season, and Westbrook’s name is the one constantly on blast. It reads as though the public expects a lot more out of Russell Westbrook.
For Melo to have a shot at how he did and not gain flack was one thing. But Russ was only a few rebounds and assists off averaging another triple-double. Westbrook also had his lowest turnover rate last season (3.8) since his 2014 tenure with OKC. Stats like these do not read like a bad year.
Watching the Lakers games, one can understand the comments and note that Russell Westbrook was not playing like himself. But he needs not command the entire floor with his speed and tenacity when there are players he can work with now.
Changing the entire transcript of your game would take longer than a single season in this case. And Russell’s career should not be tainted and discredited for an attempt at this.