In a recent disclosure, Damian Lillard has offered an in-depth look at his experiences with Russell Westbrook, a former MVP known for being intensely competitive. In his appearance on the ‘Club 520’ podcast, Milwaukee Bucks’ point guard talked about the challenges he had in his early stages of career competing against Westbrook who was then playing with Oklahoma City Thunder.
“When I just came in the league until maybe my fifth or sixth year, he was a bully,” said Lillard. “I remember that when I was a rookie and second year he used to try to give me 50 every time. He would shoot so much on me that [Kevin Durant] is getting mad like ‘pass the ball!’.
” Lillard’s comments reveal how intense their face-offs were as often Westbrook’s offensive style left deep effects. Although Lillard now respects and admires Westbrook, it wasn’t always like that. It once became the biggest rivalry of their time years ago when they were playing against one another more frequently than other teams in NBA did within one season.
He even once referred to him as his “arch-nemesis” considering how frequently they argued during games throughout the year. With time however, things cooled between them but still Westbrook remained recognized as an inexorable competitor.
A case example is when westbrook was picked fourth in 2008 and through these years till date he has been one of those players who are known to be fierce and relentless on court . His intention has always been to conquer all before him, which shaped the Thunder days besides Kevin Durant.
Thunder’s Dynamic Duo
Westbrook and Durant guided the team to NBA finals in 2012 and became pillars of its most successful seasons. Afterwards, even after Durant left for Golden State Warriors in 2016, Westbrook stayed put with Thunder becoming team leader.
Throughout his eleven-year tenure with the franchise Westbrick produced career averages of 23 points per game, having 8 assists and pulling down 7 rebounds. Among his career highlights are: nine appearances in All Star Games, two scoring titles and nine selections for All-NBA team.
Despite his accomplishments, Westbrook has been accused of being responsible for Durant’s departure from the Thunder. This defeat to the Warriors marked the end of an era in Oklahoma City after leading the series 3-1.
Even though Durant never publicly blamed Westbrook, there have always been rumors about their relationship. Moreover, some believe that Westbrook’s ball-dominant play style together with his relentless approach may have hindered Thunder’s success.
Nevertheless, this same drive is what made Westbrook one of the best point guards in his generation. Today people are divided on where he stands among other great point guards like Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving or Lillard himself.
However, Westbrook has had a fair share of highs and lows throughout his career but no one can deny how much he has influenced the game itself.
