NBA legends LeBron James and Russell Westbrook were teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, before the Lakers traded Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in February 2023.
Westbrook’s time with the Lakers fell short of expectations. The team had a 56-74 record when he was on the court, and he was even booed by fans during home games.
Despite that rocky stretch, James didn’t let their stint together cloud his admiration for Westbrook’s earlier career. On a recent episode of Mind the Game with Hall of Famer Steve Nash, James reflected on how dominant Westbrook was in his prime with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Every time Russ stepped on the court, oh, this guy’s special,” James said. “We’ve never seen anything like this. Soon as he get on the court, it’s a missile.”
Now 36 years old, Westbrook won the NBA MVP award in 2016-17 with the Thunder.
A California native, Westbrook is the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles. He holds career averages of 21.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists.
Selected fourth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft, Westbrook has suited up for the Thunder, Rockets, Wizards, Lakers, Clippers, and Nuggets. At his peak, he was arguably the league’s most explosive and fastest player — a relentless force in transition who often dunked over bigger defenders.
Like James, Westbrook is destined for the Hall of Fame. He’s a nine-time All-Star, a nine-time All-NBA selection, and has claimed two scoring titles and three steals titles.
