Kobe may have blessed Westbrook after Tuesday's game, but Russ ain't Mamba just yet. (Credits: Jamie Squire/Getty Images Europe) |
@russwest44 was cookin tonight. He's got mamba blood runnin thru his veins . You gave it to me tonight lil bro. C u down the road!
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) March 6, 2013
Russell Westbrook has made quite a name for himself over his short four-year-and-counting career. It's absolutely undeniable that his athleticism and skills make him a top-10, possibly even top-5 talent in the league, but at times that's not always the case. The 24-year-old is a fiery guard, who doesn't hesitate to pick your pock, abuse the rim, and let you know about it. But he's also been labeled as an over-shooter, who has continuously "stunted" Kevin Durant's growth. I'm not in that camp, though. Westbrook is a sensational player and will go down as one of the best to ever do it. Yet, Mamba blood in his veins? Kobe-esque? I'm just not so sure.
There is one thing that Kobe and Russ have in common for sure; they're not everyone's cup of tea. Both play with the type of passion that can often be labeled negative. They yell, they jaw, they mean mug and they compete. Yet, I'm not sure Westbrook is driven by the same thing that Mamba is. Kobe hates losing more than he loves winning. He isn't driven by hardware, he's driven by his own hatred for losing and he'll go to the ends of the earth to avoid doing so. That rubs people the wrong way, making him seem void of character and a real you know what. Who knows about Westbrook though. He's only played four years and there isn't anything that made me believe he's a chasing hardware guy or a hatred for losing kind of guy either. We might just find that out this season with the Heat and Thunder the favorites to meet once again in the NBA Finals.
One thing to watch for going forward is Westbrook and KD's relationship. If they go out and win a few titles, it'll be quite interesting to see what happens when Durant's contract is up in 2016. Everyone remembers how Kobe and Shaq's early 2000s tiff turned into a full blown spectacle, I wonder if the same will happen with Westbrook. He's a Los Angeles native and I could totally see him departing in 2017 for Laker gold, when his contract is up, while Durant remains a member of the Thunder forever. Mamba blood would indicate to us that he'll want to depart and script his own championship destiny in the future, but for now I think Russ won't pull that card.
It's certainly an honor to be blessed by the Mamba himself, but if he can avoid all the negative things that have come with Kobe's off-the-court career, then Westbrook will have himself quite the (positive) career. But, he's not Mamba just yet.
Just in case you forgot.
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