How Russell Westbrook's Career Fell Apart | The Rise and Fall of The Brodie

russell westbrook looks broken i'm over russell westbrook i think he's kind of sad now could this be the end of russ as we know him russ the superstar it could be [Music] [Applause] but the reality is is kevin durant's actions left russell westbrook hanging he's not only a disaster but he's to me an unfixable disaster because he has no conscience [Music] russell westbrook's career is an up and down roller coaster with incredible highs and upsetting lows his fiery dunks and unreal game winners made him a fan favorite among the nba masses but criticism soon began seeping through the unrelenting praise spectators who called westbrook a ball hog were slowly growing louder as the years passed by and fans questioned if kevin durant and russell westbrook had what it took to win a championship these concerns were amplified in the 2016 western conference finals where the oklahoma city thunder blew a three to one lead to the golden state warriors both westbrook and durant struggled in this series russ was outduded and destroyed by whom many considered to be the far superior guard in stephen curry kevin durant then left in the summer of 2016 abandoning his teammate of eight seasons for the bay area leaving many to wonder if kd left due to westbrook's ball dominant playstyle regardless russ was unfazed by this decision he had an historic mvp campaign in the 2016-17 season climbing up the ladder and becoming the king of the basketball world russell westbrook's offensive-minded dominance produced the most triple-doubles in one season in nba history the brody received the mvp award an esteemed accomplishment for the guard however what followed the spectacular peak was frustration in the ensuing three seasons westbrook suffered three straight first-round exits with the thunder his reputation and fame among fans slowly began deteriorating and negative question surrounding his performances in the playoffs rose two more early exits in round two and round one with the houston rockets and washington wizards ease no worries the opinion surrounding russell westbrook's career and his achievements went from excited and hopeful to polarizing and controversial once he was traded to the bright city of los angeles all lives were placed on him and he became the most scrutinized player in the league blamed for a majority of the failures that came the lakers way but why was this the case how has westbrook's reputation been tainted so quickly and why has he failed to achieve recent playoff success this is the rise and fall of russell westbrook [Music] russell westbrook's first years with the oklahoma city thunder saw the young guard quickly climb up the ladder to become a key piece on his team and he was a household name in no time pick number four in the 2008 nba draft the thunder envisioned the high flying guard as being the second piece alongside fellow rising star kevin durant kd and russ each had different playstyles kd being a dynamic scorer who could shoot the lights out while russ relied more on slashing to the rim and finishing tough layups by the end of westbrook's rookie season he finished with an inefficient 15 points for game average but the potential was clear westbrook showed consistent flashes of his offensive talent he had a quick first step that could burn any defense when attacking the rack producing endless poster dunks on his resume the 2008-2009 season for the thunder concluded with an ugly 23-win record but all lies were on the future in okc the 2009 draft brought another piece in the form of arizona state shooting guard james harden and just like that the new big three in oklahoma city was formed the expectations were modest at first but nobody could have predicted the pure dominance this young core would soon inflict on the league the thunder exploded in the 2009-2010 season winning 50 games a 27 win improvement over the prior year and russ was a key factor in that his points and field goal percentage went up but his improvement on the defensive end took the headlines russ was more disciplined guarding the perimeter averaging a steal per game and becoming the steady starting point guard for the team okc cracked the playoffs at the eighth seed in a tough western conference westbrook was already in the postseason in just year two round one against the defending champion lakers would be the first team russ would face in his playoff debut and he showed out westbrook averaged a phenomenal 20 points per game on an efficient 47 percent from the field and 40 percent from three this series left many convinced that number zero was a star in the making his ferocious dunks and burning passion for the game of basketball shocked the lakers in game six okc suffered heartbreak losing on a pal gasol game winner disappointment was in the air in chesapeake arena and while the score wasn't in the thunder's favor this time around one thing was very clear they'd be back the 2010-11 season saw the greatest jump in westbrook's game yet he was now a 22 points per game scorer and began certifying himself as one of the most electric point guards in the league he was a first-time all-star in year three at the age of 22 and the thunder were somehow even better than the prior year okc achieved 55 wins and this time around they were no eighth seed oklahoma city stamped their names on the fourth slot in the west a deep playoff run soon ensued as the baby thunder advanced to the western conference finals on the backs of russell westbrook and kevin durant unfortunately their magical run came to a screeching halt against dirk nowinski and the dallas mavericks the veteran novinski was a man on a mission hunting his first ring and the inexperienced thunder were stepped on losing in five as okc fans applauded their squad for yet another impressive playoff run there were a few critics coming out of the woodwork to blame russell westbrook for this defeat westbrook averaged 24 a game in the western conference finals but it came on a mediocre 36 percent from the field and 20 from three westbrook's postseason efficiency stats were underwhelming overall he shot 40 30 85 splits there were moments on offense where he looked out of control and lost still those that questioned this were met with rolled eyes russ was still very young and the hope was that he'd improve on these issues in the future the 2011-2012 season for oklahoma city was met with even more winning the thunder won 47 games out of 66 towering over a majority of the west with the number two seed to their name by this point russell westbrook was hailed as one of the most exciting players in the league if you had a favorite point guard there was a great chance that he was in one of westbrook's posters russell westbrook kevin durant and james harden were a force to be reckoned with and the playoffs brought no end to this reign of terror okc flew past the west getting revenge on the mavericks in a sweep and handling the lakers in five the western conference finals arrived and it was a battle between the successful veterans in san antonio and the baby thunder in oklahoma city the thunder one in six the entire team stepped up in prime time to send the spurs home westbrook's numbers dropped he went from 24 points a game in the regular season to 18 and his field goal percentage dipped by 8 percent none of this mattered though because when it came to the eye test westbrook was an a-plus student he had a vicious offensive repertoire and an unmatched killer gene there was no doubt about it he was a key star piece on a championship contending team and the future seemed glorious for okc the 2012 finals saw them face off against a hungry miami heat team and to the dismay of oklahoma city they dropped the series in five russell westbrook had his ups and downs he averaged 27 a game but it came on 13 shooting from downtown he scored an unbelievable 43 points in game four but he also made a terrible foul decision on mario chalmers that was completely unneeded because the shot clock was at 4 seconds westbrook was criticized for his tendency to take unneeded long jump shots when his teammates were open and this small dominant attitude earned him the negative label of a ball hog fans wondered if the thunder would be better off with the past first playmaking guard at the one spot instead but little did they know that playmaker was coming off the bench in the fall of 2012 james harden the sixth man of the year winner and rising young peace wanted a max contract from okc the thunder refused they'd already given max money to kd and russ and with a hefty contract tied to kendrick perkins okc wasn't budging harden was traded to houston which turned the big three into the big two a duo kd and russ the initial impact of the hardened trade didn't affect okc much they had what was their best season yet winning 60 games another finals appearance was in the rear view mirror but in round one against the houston rockets that glass was shattered in game two opposing defender patrick beverly dove into westbrook's knees in an attempt to steal the basketball thus tearing westbrook's meniscus not only would this sideline rust for the entirety of the 2013 playoffs but his streak of playing every single game for the first five seasons of his career was snapped in the blink of an eye russell westbrook's chances at a sure-fire deep playoff run were destroyed and it was all due to a set of events that was preventable okc lost in round two to the grizzlies ending their 60 win season in misery the 2013-14 season began without russell westbrook on the court but kevin durant had no problem carrying his squad to dubs without him kd led okc to 59 wins landing the mvp award for his spectacular 32 points per game average not only did this season produce some of the best offensive play the league had ever seen but it gave kd one thing fiery confidence westbrook missed 36 games and spent a majority of the year shaking off his rust which left durant alone and he was more than happy to step up this could have very well given kd confidence that he could win games without russ okc landed the second seed thanks to number 35's contributions championship expectations were in the air once again and while the 2014 playoffs saw a great run from okc no banner was raised in oklahoma the thunder won the first two rounds against memphis and then la with westbrook averaging a fantastic 28 game in round two playoff series like these showed the pure superstar potential that russ had when he was on fire he was unstoppable however that burning fire was extinguished by the san antonio spurs who knocked the thunder out of the western conference finals in six russell westbrook shot eight of 23 from the field and one of six from three and a doer died game six disappointing numbers in a must-win game kd dropped 31 on 48 from the field and 25 from three but those points weren't enough to outlast the eventual champion spurs a tough defeat for sure but many believe the thunder were slowly inching closer and closer to their eventual goal of the championship yet those feelings of positivity would melt away in october of 2014 when it was announced kevin durant had suffered a jones fracture [Music] this injury sidelined him for 55 games in the regular season a massive blow to the thunder that knocked them off the top of the western conference and down into the abyss they finished the 2014 2014-15 season at the 9th seed with 45 wins missing the playoffs for the first time since 2009 russell westbrook dumped every ounce of his efforts into the 67 games he played averaging a then career-high 28 points per night re-establishing himself as an all-star once again russ was back and better than ever and while this season may have been one to forget for the thunder it was clear that when kd would return things would be scary the 2015-16 season for oklahoma city was the last year russell westbrook and kevin durant were teammates on the thunder and it was unforgettable the thunder won a phenomenal 55 games with russ and kd combining for nearly 50 points per game on average westbrook was heavily regarded as a top 3 point guard in the league even sneaking his way up to the mvp chart landing the number 4 spot the thunder blazed through the first 82 games finishing third in the west entering the final 16 games with confidence and swagger in their step the duo of number zero and number 35 were now in their eighth season together and time was running out they needed to impress in the postseason the 2016 playoffs initially brought triumph with two straight first-round victories by oklahoma city okc beat both the mavericks and 67 wins san antonio spurs in rounds one and two impressive achievements led by none other than beastbrook and the slim reaper themselves okc had climbed to the western conference finals and this time around their opponent was no easy foe the 73 win golden state warriors were looking to defend their 2015 championship and they had a flashy point guard in stephen curry who many considered to be better than westbrook steph may have had outstanding shooting but through the first four games westbrook destroyed him with elite slashing russ scored 27 in game 1 30 in game 3 and 36 in game 4 dominating the paint with rim-rocking dunks the points may have been nice but the playmaking rust displayed was even more breathtaking he dropped 47 assists in games 1-4 unreal numbers oklahoma city was up three games to one on the warriors and were just one win away from reaching the biggest stage the last time okc was in the finals russ and kd were young with little experience they wanted to redeem themselves and this was their chance the thunder had three different opportunities to close it out in advance but each time they failed kevin durant and russell westbrook's play diminished when they were needed most they both shot below 40 in games five and six and in game seven steph curry destroyed them with 34 points westbrook shot five of 19 from three and 28 of 76 from the field in the last three games for as explosive as he was in the beginning the ending was miserable for the brody kevin durant was unimpressive as well shooting 40 from the field in the final three the two-time mvp and curry won the fight and had embarrassed the state of oklahoma okc became one of only a few teams to blow a 3-1 lead in the playoffs a disaster had unfolded and a championship opportunity had been squandered a finish like this already left a bad taste in the mouths of thunder fans but what transpired in the ensuing weeks broke their hearts even more kevin durant drafted by seattle and developed in oklahoma city left the team on july 4th for golden state the same team that durant had just lost a 3-1 lead to was now his new home he wanted a championship and didn't believe it could be accomplished in okc russ was blindsided by this move reports came out that kd didn't even call westbrook to inform him of his decision ironically enough posted to westbrook's instagram account on july 4th the day kd left was a picture of cupcakes with the caption happy fourth fans ran with this giving durant a new nickname that would echo throughout the basketball landscape cupcake russ then signed a three-year extension with okc exactly one month after duran left he was loyal to okc and showed it westbrook was now without his tenured partner in crime and he was hungry to show the doubters that he could lead a team what would soon follow would go down as one of the most historic seasons in nba history the 2016-17 season for russell westbrook was unbelievable from the opening tip westbrook put on an offensive showcase every single night he put the team on his back and stuffed the stat sheet while he was at it becoming the first player in 50 years to average a triple double his 32 points per game were all highlight reel worthy buckets the brody could throw it down on any defender but also step out and drill mid-range jays he had countless clutch shots on his resume his playmaking and handles were elite and his heart and passion for the game made him a respected basketball warrior his famous phrase why not inspired millions of fans and he was the living embodiment of such an expression why not lead your team to the playoffs why not average 32 points each game he achieved a triple-double was history being written russ creeped closer and closer to breaking the record for the most triple-doubles in a season in an april 2017 game against the denver nuggets rust did just that achieving his 40-second triple-double of the year breaking oscar robertson's record for the most in one season still this gave westbrook little fulfillment for the moment his team trailed by 10 with four minutes left he took over scoring multiple layups to bring his team to within two with three seconds left as the thunder were preparing to inbound excitement was in the air in denver all the fans knew who the ball would be going to and then it happened one of the greatest game winners in nba history because why [Applause] to a not day this was the peak of russell westbrook's career he had just nailed a game-winner to give him 50 points on the night and his legendary unprecedented 40-second triple-double had been realized not only that but the mvp award was his russell westbrook was the most valuable player he did it all by himself and was now in the upper echelon of nba history when it came to records but when you zoomed out from westbrook the thunder's roster and team was mediocre 47 wins landed them the six seed and it was clear that they were ways away from actually contending this harsh truth was recognized in round one of the 2017 playoffs the thunder lost in five to the houston rockets westbrook did all that he could do to try and will his team to victory but his squad was out talented by houston russ averaged 37 per game in round one including 51 points and 47 points in games two and five quite impressive on the surface but critics jumped to point out the below average efficiency westbrook shot in this series 38 from the field and 26 from three were poor numbers but they were excused due to the lack of help the brody was the least of okc's problems the thunder needed to acquire a second star and acquire a second star they did in late june of 2017 paul george was traded to the thunder in exchange for victor oladipo and damonte sabonis pg-13 was a star player who was eager to win a championship and what was shocking about this is how little the thunder gave up victor oladipo at this point was an unproven average starter and damonte sabonis was a young rookie with potential receiving an all-star and paul george for those two was seen as a fleece and just like that the new duo was formed in oklahoma sam presti the general manager at the time wasn't satisfied with just two all-stars he wanted a big three in september of 2017 carmelo anthony a hall of fame all-star level player was traded to the thunder in exchange for ennis cantor and doug mcdermott yet another star player was added to the group for a small price the trio of melo rus and pg-13 was expected to wreak havoc on any who challenged them but the 2017-18 season for the thunder was an inconsistent disaster from the start westbrook and paul george had trouble fitting together and carmelo anthony looked lost and out of place as the third option on the court andre roberson a key starting piece suffered a season-ending ruptured patella which was a huge blow to the team's defense still as the season progressed okc went on a winning streak and showed promise at times even beating the defending champion warriors at home by 17. in this game russ and kd jawed at one another a stark contrast from their past when they were best friends on the court westbrook's numbers understandably dipped from 32 points per game to 25 and he once again averaged a triple double the numbers were exciting but the majority of spectators couldn't care less they wanted to see what this okc team could do come playoff time the thunder wrapped up the year with 48 wins only one more than the prior year but a 15-8 record post-all-star break gave fans confidence the 2018 playoffs opened up with the team facing the utah jazz and rookie donovan mitchell but what appeared to be an easy victory devolved into a nightmare the jazz defeated the thunder in six donovan mitchell averaged 29 per game and destroyed okc's lacking perimeter defense carmelo anthony was a no-show shooting 37 from the field and 21 from three on a mediocre 12 points per game paul george and russell westbrook averaged their usual numbers but it came on low shooting percentages in a win or go home game six westbrook scored 46 points which should have ensured a win instead his partners in crime the players he was supposed to count on for help laid eggs george scored five points on 2 of 16 shooting and carmelo put up 7. okc season was over a rookie had beaten them and with pg set to be a free agent in the summer of 2018 misery seemed impending in oklahoma city an overwhelming amount of negative questions surrounded the thunder's organization but the summer of 2018 saw excitement rise from the ashes paul george surprisingly inked a four-year max deal with the group he was back sporting those yellow orange and white jerseys once again carmelo departed from the team leaving the duo of pg and russ with the chance at redemption by this point the thunder were looked at as playoff likely but not championship contenders they had a formidable duo but outside of number 13 and number zero the starting lineup was middling and the bench was depleted uninspiring play came as a result of this the 2018-19 season for the thunder resulted in 49 wins total the team had far too many holes on the bench they lacked a solid starting shooting guard and there was no consistent third option despite this pg-13 had what was his best season up to that point finishing third in the mvp race averaging 28 and 8 rebounds electrifying the team with his multitude of clutch performances russ took a back seat and allowed george to take over a concept that many incorrectly believed westbrook was incapable of doing the thunder trudged on to the 2019 playoffs with hopes of a somewhat deep run but what they were instead met with was a dreadful familiar round one exit the portland trailblazers matched up with okc and beat them in five with opposing star point guard damien lillard embarrassing russell westbrook lillard had noted beef with russ over the years and dame got the last laugh averaging a scorching hot 33 points per game in this series he then capped it off with one of the most iconic game winners in nba history drilling a 40-foot three-pointer in paul george's face to end the thunder season he finished with 50 points demoralizing the thunder and out dueling russell westbrook waving them goodbye as the crowd exploded into excitement little did spectators know this would be the last game of the brody's thunder career the 2019 offseason for the thunder saw paul george quietly requested trade to the la clippers he was determined to play with the two-time champion and superstar in kawhi leonard once those headlines were announced to the nba world westbrook knew he had tough decisions to make it was obvious that okc had little chances of winning a ring so westbrook also requested a trade being sent to the houston rockets in a package for chris paul and pix he was reunited with his former teammate and rival in james harden who coveted a ring just as dearly as westbrook did the rockets were taking a shot at the championship and hoped that russ would be the missing piece they were going all in with this duo the 2019-20 season for the rockets saw the reunion of hardin and westbrook having a questionable fit the two were both talented and each put on highlight reel-worthy shows on a nightly basis but together the results were mediocre houston won 44 games out of 72 experimenting with small ball lineups throughout the regular season that produced mixed results russ was still his same old self for better or for worse his explosiveness remained his passion was just as burning but his poor shot selection and below average efficiency that had lingered throughout his career carried on the 2020 playoffs in the bubble saw westbrook finally advance past the first round for the first time since 2016 but in round two they were knocked out in five by lebron james and the lakers westbrook and hardin played their usual brand of basketball but it wasn't enough they were out talented by los angeles james harden was growing frustrated with the team and rumors of him running out began floating westbrook seeing this also not pleased with the poor fit between him and james requested a trade and the washington wizards jumped on the opportunity westbrook was sent from a championship contender to fringe playoff team and he was now paired up with the offensive minded guard bradley beal in dc gone were the expectations of a ring people didn't expect much from this wizards team and westbrook played well with his new squad he erupted towards the end of the season hitting clutch shots throwing down dunks and becoming a leader for the young guys in washington the team started 6-17 but finished 34 and 38 winning 15 of 20 to land the 8 seed in the east a respectable run that demonstrated russ's unwavering fight but the outcome come playoff time was less than stellar the philadelphia 76ers beat them in five washington's poor defense allowed tobias harris a 19 points per game scorer to average 25 per game this series defeat marked the fourth first round exit in the last five seasons for russell westbrook and time was running out for him to win a ring russ realized this and requested a trade for the third straight year also encouraging fellow wizard star bradley beal to do the same who would be the team that traded for the polarizing guard that question lingered throughout the nba as one team began emerging as a candidate 2668 miles away in the city of los angeles one team wearing purple and gold was having troubles the lakers had suffered a first round exit at the hands of the phoenix suns and the front office felt they needed more one championship in 2020 left lebron james and anthony davis hungry for more and lebron realized a third option on offense would be beneficial there were a few names the lakers threw around like demar derozan or buddy healed but ultimately the team settled on a former mvp russell westbrook in late july of 2021 the los angeles lakers traded a plethora of depth in a deal to land the star guard in russell westbrook immediately the expectations of the championship rose in la the lakers were favored second overall in pre-season finals bidding adding rust to the duo of lebron james and anthony davis appeared to build a dominant big three this was westbrook's best chance at a ring in half a decade the stakes were high all lies were on the lakers and in the preseason they went 0-6 not exactly the most exhilarating start but lebron and russ showed flashes of offensive success that delighted la once the regular season arrived the mediocrity continued los angeles went 10 and 10 in their first 20. as the lakers kept dropping games anger continued to build in los angeles it became quite clear rather quickly that westbrook was a bad fit there was no defense on the team and the majority of players on the roster were past their prime in mid-december of 2021 anthony davis suffered an mcl injury that knocked him out of the lineup for a month the lakers were inconsistent becoming the laughingstock of basketball and collapsing to multiple games below 500. russell westbrook had beef with frank vogel the head coach vogel often benching rust in crunch time west rook became infamously known throughout the league for his poor shot selection constantly taking inefficient threes to the point where he was booed by lakers fans his post game quotes didn't ease any fears either he fired back and argued against reporters regularly and got angered at fans who were calling him westbrook a horrible nightmarish season for not only the lakers but russell westbrook himself heavy critics of his profess his playstyle will never win him a ring while staunch supporters of his claim that he was placed in a poor situation that didn't fit his game russ may have struggled in los angeles but one poor season shouldn't deny the 13 other years in which he was spectacular russell westbrook has had one of the most controversial careers in nba history to fans his play style is beloved his highlight's otherworldly and his dunks are iconic two detractors his personality is questionable his shot selection is viewed as miserable and they theorize his ball dominant offense will never land him a ring whichever side you stand on what cannot be refused is his positive impact on the game of basketball at just the age of 23 russell westbrook reached the nba finals scoring 43 points in game four against the big three miami heat when faced with a disaster in the summer of 2016 with kevin durant departing instead of giving up and leaving the thunder he responded by averaging a triple double and winning the mvp he remained loyal to okc through thick and thin for a decade and to many is considered the greatest player in thunder history westbrook is imperfect but his story of triumph and hard work is a tale that will go unforgotten in nba lore [Music] [Applause] you

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Length: 34min 9sec (2049 seconds)

Published: Thu May 05 2022