NBA: He Played For Them? Russell Westbrook Edition
It is hard to believe, but 2021 was four years ago. The 2021 NBA regular season was different then most. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, very few fans were allowed in arenas to watch games. One player made history in the 2020-21 season, and that man was Russell Westbrook.
Many forget he played in our nation's capital, but he did just that. He made history, I might add.
Wizards' Russell Westbrook was a beast, yet many have forgotten him. I want to make sure we don’t forget.
From Rocket to Wizard
On December 2nd, 2020, the Houston Rockets traded Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards in exchange for John Wall and a 2023 lottery-protected first-round pick. Westbrook has grown unhappy with the Rockets and wanted out, and the Wizards wanted to move on from John Wall, who had torn his achilles two seasons prior.
On the Wizards, Westbrook switched from his usual number 0 to wearing number 4. Playing alongside former All-Star in Bradley Beal, Westbrook had another dominant season.
Triple Double King
To give some context, by this point in Russell Westbrook’s career, he relied mostly on his athleticism and IQ, and less on his shooting. Since 2019, Westbrook’s field goal percentage had become mightily inconsistent. Despite this, Westbrook’s impact was undeniable on the court.
He averaged 22.2 points per game, 11.7 assists (leading the league in assists averaged and total assists), 11.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals. While he also averaged 4.8 turnovers per game and shot the ball poorly, he carried the Wizards 34-38 record and the 8th seed in the playoffs.
The main thing that drew attention was Westbrook’s eye-popping triple-double stat lines that he would put up daily.
35 points, 14 rebounds, 21 assists, and 2 steals on 54% field goal efficiency vs Indiana
18 points, 18 rebounds, and 14 assists in a win vs the Lakers
14 points, 21 rebounds, and 24 assists on 62% efficiency from the field
21 points, 11 rebounds, and 15 assists in a loss to the 76ers
These were just some of the many insane statlines The Brodie had in the 2021 season.
To cap off the historic season, on May 10th, 2021, Westbrook broke Oscar Robertson’s NBA record for most career triple-doubles. Russ needed to pass Robertson’s record of 181, and he did just that, getting his 182nd triple-double in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. In that game, Westbrook had 28 points, 13 rebounds, and 21 assists.
Closing
Ultimately, the Wizards did not get far in the 2021 playoffs. They lost to the 76ers in 5 games, and Westbrook averaged 19 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 11.8 assists.
The Wizards weren’t great during the 2021 season, but they definitely weren’t awful, and they have Russell Westbrook to thank for that. Westbrook’s 2021 lone season with the Wizards is one of the most underrated in recent years, and it is one of my personal favorites.
Westbrook would be traded to the Lakers during the offseason to play alongside superstars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, that pairing would not go quite as smoothly as Westbrook’s with the Wizards, but that is a blog post for another time.
