All Lakers

Former NBA Forward Disrespects Lakers' Magic Johnson With Absurd Take on Russell Westbrook

Matt Levine

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Los Angeles Lakers have had some great players come through the organization over the years and more often than not, things worked out. But sometimes, some players aren't able to make it work with the purple and gold.

It can be a tough organization to play for and some guys fall under the pressure of playing in Los Angeles. One of the more recent names that comes to mind is point guard Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook came to the Lakers ahead of the 2021-22 season but only lasted a season and a half. The future Hall-of-Fame point guard never quite fit in with the Lakers and it hurt the team on the court.

The struggles of Los Angeles weren't all his fault but he didn't help much either. Now with the Denver Nuggets, Westbrook has seemingly found a role and has been fitting in nicely.

Westbrook is one of the more polarizing players in NBA history but his greatness can't be denied. He recently just grabbed his 200th triple-double, the most of all time in the league.

During an appearance on the Gilbert Arenas podcast, former NBA forward Rashad McCants provided an interesting take on who the greatest point guard of all time was. McCants went with the former Lakers guard, at least statistically.

"Russell Westbrook is the greatest point guard of all time. Statistically... Statistically, it's no debate about it."

Most people would agree that either former Lakers guard Magic Johnson or Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry would fall as the best. But Westbrook has made a case for himself, at least statistic-wise in the eyes of McCants.

He is 62 triple-doubles ahead of Johnson for their careers, potentially giving him some ammo in the debate. But most basketball fans wouldn't put Westbrook up this high on the list.

While he has been explosive and dynamic throughout much of his career, his play has declined in recent years. Westbrook doesn't have the same bounce that he once did and it has hurt his ability to dominate on the floor.

Westbrook has bounced around the league over the past few seasons, playing with the Houston Rockets, Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and now the Nuggets. His will to win is still the same as it always has been and he has a good chance to finally win a title with Denver.

More Lakers: Former Lakers Champion Says Real Fans 'Don't Care' About NBA Cup

Published
Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

Matt earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University in 2021. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, covering all Southern California sports in his career.

Home/News