7 NBA players that will remind you of LeBron James
By Amaar Burton
2. Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets)
Even when Jason Kidd was still active, conventional wisdom said if anyone was going to challenge Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson to become basketball’s ambassador of the triple-double, it would be LeBron James.
Then Russell Westbrook showed up.
Westbrook had all the tools needed to be an electric stat-stuffing machine when he entered the league as a 6’3″ do-it-all guard out of UCLA in 2008. He teamed with Kevin Durant to make the Oklahoma City Thunder a potential dynasty early in this decade.
But after Durant left OKC for the Golden State Warriors, Westbrook really exploded.
In the 2016-17 season, his first as the unquestioned No. 1 option, Westbrook rewrote record books.
He averaged a triple-double (31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 10.4 assists per game), becoming the first player to do so since Robertson in 1961-62. Westbrook broke the Big O’s record for triple-doubles in a season (42) and he set a record for most 50-point triple-doubles (3). Westbrook was awarded league MVP for his efforts.
The next two seasons, Westrook again averaged a triple-double. He recently passed Magic for second place on the all-time triple-doubles list with 140 through Sunday’s schedule, with only Robertson ahead of him at 181. LeBron ranks fifth in that category with 83.
Westbrook plays like a smaller version of LeBron with a more aggressive mindset.
He can relentlessly attack the basket and either live at the free throw line or on the highlight reel, depending on how the defense responds. He can take over a game almost by himself. When he’s on the court, his team rarely seems completely out of contention.
Meanwhile, Westbrook’s jump shot is streaky, his turnover rate can be high, he is often accused of padding his stats, and he’s taken a lot more blame than he probably deserves when his team loses. LeBron fits that same description.
After being traded to the Houston Rockets this offseason, Westbrook now shares the backcourt with James Harden — another former league MVP and accused stat-padder who has been the alpha and omega of his team in recent years, for better or worse.
Their pairing has already been compared to that of LeBron and Wade, and LeBron and Kyrie Irving. Both of those tandems won championships together, which is what the Rockets hope to get from adding a mini-LeBron to their roster.