Russell Westbrook is one of the greatest players in the NBA, given his remarkable achievements in the league. He holds the record for the most career triple-doubles in a season by a player and has received numerous individual awards that solidify his status as one of the all-time greats.
However, Westbrook’s tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers did not live up to the expectations of fans. He struggled to perform at his best and appeared to be a shadow of his former self. Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas shed some light on the possible reasons behind Westbrook’s unsuccessful run.
Gilbert Arenas weighs in on Westbrook’s struggles with Lakers
Gilbert Arenas recently shared insights on what might be the reason for Russell Westbrook’s underwhelming performance at the Los Angeles Lakers. On the Gilbert Arenas Show, Gil was asked about why is Russ a better fit with the Clippers than the Lakers. To which he responded with very insightful reasoning.
Gilbert said, “Cuz he and LeBron play the same position.” pointing out the similarities between Mr. Triple Double and LeBron. He further went on to add to his point and said, “You know he is not a shooting guard and LeBron’s not a Shooting guard, so they were gonna both clash and drive and past through each other. Who’s gonna drive and pass… You know.. so it was a better fit to have someone who can catch and shoot and do pick and roll to shoot, so umm That’s what the clash was, it was two players tryna do the same exact thing.”
Arenas pointed out that both Russell Westbrook and LeBron had very similar playstyles, and this resemblance was the cause of Westbrook’s unsuccessful run. Now that he has a place on the Clippers where his style doesn’t clash with anyone else’s, he can play to his full potential.
How many games did Lebron James play with Russell Westbrook?
Arenas’ reasoning seems quite fair but despite that LeBron and Russell Westbrook have played quite a few matches together as teammates. Russ and Bron have played 45 games together and have a record of 25-20 in those games. Although the record is a decent but it is still underwhelming given the high-caliber talent of both LeBron and Russ.
The duo first played together in the 2017 All-Star match, where the issues that Arenas mentioned could be observed. In 2021, Russ became a teammate of Bron and played the entire 2021-22 season together. However, the duo has never played together in the NBA playoffs.
What are your thoughts on the duo of Russell Westbrook and LeBron James? Do you agree with the reasoning of Gilbert Arenas? We are eager to hear your opinion, so drop them down in the comments and let us know.
