Draymond Green got brutally honest in his assessment of Russell Westbrook this week.
Westbrook’s Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs on Tuesday night by the Phoenix Suns.
Despite Westbrook’s best efforts, the absence of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George proved to be too much for L.A. to overcome.
That said, Westbrook still had a tremendous series in the first-round match-up and likely saved his career in the process.
After a disastrous run with the Los Angeles Lakers, Westbrook proved that there was still a place for him in the league because of the way he meshed with the Clippers.
During a recent episode of his podcast, Green made the case that Westbrook-related slander had reached such an extreme that the former league MVP was actually underrated now.
Draymond Green On Russell Westbrook
“I’m so f*cking tired of people disrespecting Russ… Russell Westbrook is an MVP… Russell Westbrook is a Legend… Russell Westbrook is a Hall of Famer, Stop disrespecting that man like he’s not him.”
(H/T Draymond Green’s podcast) pic.twitter.com/4oF9piiqKu
— dame (@damevercetti) April 24, 2023
“I’m so f*cking tired of people disrespecting Russ,” Green said.
“… Russell Westbrook is an MVP. Russell Westbrook is a perennial All-Star. Russell Westbrook is a legend and a Hall of Famer… stop disrespecting that man like he’s not him. He’s having an incredible series.”
If it feels like people have been very reflective about Westbrook over the past few days, it’s because they definitely have been. His former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate, Kevin Durant, also got brutally honest about him a few days ago.
Big picture, it will be interesting to see where Westbrook goes from here. Thus far, he has expressed some interest in returning to the Clippers.
Russell Westbrook says he absolutely loves the Clippers organization and would love to remain a Clipper but also he adds that he hasn’t been a free agent able to decide his future. He said he isn’t sure what will determine his decision in free agency yet.
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 26, 2023
Russell Westbrook on the emotional roller coaster he and his family have been on this season pic.twitter.com/vG23Yvpf9n
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) April 26, 2023
But also isn’t a guarantee that he will return to Los Angeles.
Westbrook is undeniably an all-time great.
That said, it’s also fair to point out that a lot of the criticism he has received in recent years has been legitimate.
The video speaks for itself. https://t.co/QfJxRS7MFx
— Game 7 (@game7__) April 26, 2023
Green may be a fan, but he also has never had to play alongside him.
What does the future hold for Westbrook? Time will tell.
Related: Clippers Twitter Account Reveals Kawhi Leonard Drama, Ty Lue Beef
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
