For all the criticism that has come his way, there is no denying that Russell Westbrook is one of the greats of this generation.
The former MVP made history yet again on Saturday night, as he passed Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas to get to 9th on the all-time assists list.
He needed 3 assists on the night to get past Isiah’s tally of 9,061 and he did finish with 3 to get to 9,062 for his career. Westbrook reacted after the game to his latest accomplishment.
“Honestly, I’m truly grateful,” Westbrook said. “I give all my thanks to the men above for allowing me and blessing me with talents to be able to play the game for a long period of time… Obviously being on that list, it’s great. I think just as a point guard like myself and the different conversations that I’ve had to overcome over my career, to be in the assists side of it is a special thing.”
For much of his career, Westbrook has had to hear his critics question his point guard capabilities, and passing one of the greatest ever in the position for assists here shows he has been doing something right over the years. LeBron James and Chris Paul are the only active players ahead of Russ on the list and while he is not going to catch them, he has a good chance of climbing up a few more spots by the time he retires.
Westbrook also had 7 points and 5 rebounds on the night as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the New York Knicks 106-95. It was their third straight win and Russ is now averaging 13.3 PPG, 7.5 APG, and 3.9 RPG as a Clipper.
Tyronn Lue Spoke On Russell Westbrook’s Fit With The Team
One of the biggest question marks regarding Westbrook was how willing he was going to be, to buy into the role the Clippers had for him. So far, he has been a model citizen and head coach Tyronn Lue said Westbrook has 100% bought into the Clippers system and his role.
He hasn’t played at all in the 4th quarter of their last two wins but isn’t complaining about it. He has been cheering on his teammates and has given advice to Terance Mann, who has been playing ahead of him. Ivica Zubac also stated that Westbrook has been a great leader for the Clippers and it does seem like things are changing for the better for Russ in L.A.
Source: fadeawayworld
