Wizards star Russell Westbrook lashes out at Stephen A. Smith on his legacy criticism

Russell Westbrook is undoubtedly one of the most agile and talented players to ever grace the NBA. The Washington Wizards’ guard had a slow start to life in his new team and for that, he was heavily criticised by several experts.

However, in a turn of fortunes, Westbrook has been in fiery form since the All-Star break as he is averaging 25.3 points, 12.4 assists, and 11.4 rebounds per game. He has been leading the Wizards off late and he inspired them to a brilliant win against the Indiana Pacers a couple of days ago. He delivered a jaw dropping triple double on the night with 35 points, 21 assists, and 14 rebounds against Indiana.

While the 32-year-old was hugely praised and lauded for his performance, NBA expert Stephen A. Smith resorted to a rather negative viewpoint for the Wizards’ guard.

Smith criticized Westbrook for not winning the NBA Championship even after playing with top players like James Harden, Kevin Durant and Paul George. It was unnecessary for Smith to raise a question on a player’s legacy just because he has not won any championships yet in his career.

Westbrook who was obviously not amused by the comments made by Smith responded after his recent match against the Charlotte Hornets. He said, “I sit back. I don’t say much. I don’t say I don’t like to go back and forth about people, but one thing I won’t allow to happen anymore is to let people create narratives and constantly just talking s**t for no reason about me, because I lay it on the line every night.”

The 32-year-old also added how he feels that making it to the NBA has already made him a champion in his eyes. He highlights how he has been an inspiration to many people and feels that his legacy will live on and it won’t be only for things that he has done on the court.

“I was a champion once I made it to the NBA. I grew up in the streets. I’m a champion. I don’t have to be an NBA champion. I know many people that got NBA championships that’s miserable, haven’t done nothing for their community, haven’t done nothing for the people in our world. And for me, man, my legacy, like I mentioned before, is not based on what I do on this court. I’m not gonna play basketball my whole life. My legacy is what I do off the floor, how many people I’m able to impact and inspire along my journey, man,” Westbrook went on adding.

He concluded, “That’s how I keep my head down and keep pushing because it’s very important that you don’t let the negativity seep in because it’s been like that my whole career, honestly.”

Despite not winning a ring, Russell Westbrook is one of the most popular and hyped NBA superstars. With 9-time All-Star appearances, an MVP trophy and also two scoring titles it is impossible to forget Westbrook’s legacy even without an NBA Championship.