What lesson has Russell Westbrook learned from Kobe Bryant?
The former MVP has had an up and down time in recent years, but appears to be emulating one the greatest to ever play the game. Surely that can’t hurt.
For a player of Russell Westbrook’s caliber, one can be forgiven for finding it difficult to understand how he has become the butt of so many jokes and critiques from fans. Yet, after playing for six different teams in the NBA, that is indeed the case which is why the two-time scoring champion’s approach to the issue is something to note as he’s taken it from the late and great Lakers legend.
Russell Westbrook has taken a page from Kobe Bryant’s book
It’s been 16 years since Russell Westbrook entered the NBA as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. In the time that has passed since, the former Oklahoma City Thunder star has achieved quite a bit, from the above-mentioned MVP nod (2017) to the scoring titles in 2015 and 2017, there have also been a plethora of All-Star appearances - nine to be precise - and a number of first, second, and third All-NBA Team votes.
Be that as it may, Westbrook, who most recently signed a two-year deal with the Denver Nuggets this offseason, has still come in for intense criticism over the years. Luckily, it’s something at he appears to appreciate, comes with the territory. Moreover, it’s something that to hear him tell it, is the product of being good at what you do such that opposing fans can’t stand you. An interesting way of looking at the issue and made even more so by the fact that Westbrook admits he learned it from the late Kobe Bryant.
“Just like the late Kobe Bryant, when people boo you, they understand there’s a level of respect. If people don’t say anything, you should be worried,” Westbrook told the media on Thursday. “Over the course of my career, I’ve been booed and all that stuff everywhere else, but I take it as a sign of respect just like the late Kobe Bryant... If people don’t say anything, then you should be worried.”
With that, we’ve got to address the coming campaign which will see Westbrook’s newest team, the Nuggets, facing off against the team that drafted him and the one he spent the longest with, the Oklahoma City Thunder (2008 - 2018-19). The one plus that Westbrook can count on when he and the Nuggets open their season is that the game will be played at home in the Ball Arena such that he won’t have to hear the Thunder’s fans so loudly.