What a rollercoaster career Russell Westbrook has endured. Five teams in the past six seasons is an unusual headline for a nine-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion, and nine-time All-NBA selection, among many other accolades. In his greatness, it’s strange to label Westbrook a journeyman, but isn’t that what he’s become? His all-time numbers and achievements suggest otherwise, but his closet full of numerous jerseys argues against it. Whether you see Westbrook as a journeyman or not, he is nevertheless lacing up for his sixth team since leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019, the Sacramento Kings. The Kings will be his seventh team he has played for overall. As for Westbrook’s overall career, it doesn’t come without some blemishes, to which former outspoken television personality Skip Bayless takes issue.
Russell Westbrook’s Greatness Brushed Off by Outspoken TV Personality
Skip Bayless claims Russell Westbrook’s NBA greatness isn’t worthy of ‘all-time great’ status
Bayless is famous for saying out right wild things from time to time, when he’s not making lesser, ridiculous claims at other times, mixed in with a few tolerated takes here and there. His most recent clown-speak was regarding NFL rookie Travis Hunter’s decision to get baptized on the Sunday morning of game day for the Jacksonville Jaguars. To say that Bayless’s remarks were tone-deaf and off base is an understatement. Only a few days later, he’s made another controversial statement regarding Westbrook.
Westbrook just signed on with the Kings for the 2025-26 NBA campaign. It was extremely last-minute, considering the regular season kicks off next Wednesday when Sacramento play the Phoenix Suns. It’s a confusing addition for the Kings, given their current roster, more specifically, the fact that Dennis Schröder is already in place and likely the starter at point guard. The upcoming season aside, it’s Westbrook’s career as a totality that has Bayless going off, as he recently took a shot at Westbrook’s greatness as an NBA player.
“Russell Westbrook is about to play on his 7th team in 7 seasons. He has not won a championship. KD left OKC primarily because he didn’t think he could win it all with Russ as his PG. No doubt Russ has amassed amazing numbers. But this is not the resume of a truly all-time great player,” Bayless proposed on X.
Westbrook’s OKC era solidified his forever greatness
Ring culture certainly takes its place in this conversation, and rightfully so, because Westbrook does not have a ring. That’s fair, but what isn’t fair is that Bayless seems to indicate Westbrook’s lack of a championship somehow strangles his overall career achievements — his personal stats — as a reason to believe he is not an all-time great player. Allen Iverson has stats in abundance, but no rings, and ten out of ten people would consider him an all-time great player, Bayless included.
Bayless does not give Westbrook the same level of respect. Yes, Westbrook hasn’t been able to stay on one team since leaving the Thunder. His sporadic presence on the floor has forced teams to lose patience; otherwise, he may still be in Washington or Los Angeles, or even Denver, for all we know. Westbrook’s inability to change the way he plays has hindered him greatly, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that while he may not be anymore, he was an all-time great player. You can’t take that away from an NBA player just because they’re old and not great in the present.
Whoever Westbrook is now — whoever he will be with the Kings — he is a legend, nevertheless. Blame his playing style or the teams that gave him a chance over the years for his recent basketball shortcomings, but Westbrook’s OKC era cemented him as an all-time great player, no matter what came afterward.
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