NBA fans love to debate who the greatest NBA player of all time is, and the benchmark is often winning a championship. But the Sacramento Kings' Russell Westbrook, who may be the greatest point guard in the history of the league, doesn't have a title and is left out of the conversation.
When the GOAT conversation gets rolling, it usually comes down to Michael Jordan versus LeBron James. To be fair, these are two of the greatest athletes in the history of basketball, if not the entirety of athletics. Anyone who got to watch both of them play should consider themselves lucky.
Yet, these are not the only names that should be in the mix. Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant are all in the running. Guys like Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo will be, too.
It gets even broader once you remove the self-imposed bar of winning an NBA Championship. This benchmark excludes a long list of players, including Russell Westbrook. His overall career, including his historic run on the Kings, is evidence that he belongs in that conversation.
Russell Westbrook is a certified legend and a contender for the GOAT
Westbrook is currently playing in his 18th NBA season as the starting point guard for the Kings. In a rough season for Sacramento, his work has been a major high point for the fans. It seems like every game he plays, he's breaking another record or climbing one more level up an all-time list.
It's a resume that just keeps growing. He's a former league MVP, a nine-time All-Star, a two-time All-Star Game MVP, a two-time scoring champion, and a three-time assists leader. Russell has the most triple-doubles in league history and is now the highest scoring point guard of all time.
All of that is just the tip of the iceberg for one of the best players in the history of basketball. The Kings even held an event before a recent game to celebrate his accomplishments, many of which have happened in his short tenure in Sacramento. But he doesn't have an NBA Championship.
If anyone is the face of the GOAT not needing a championship on their resume to be part of that conversation, It's Russell Westbrook. And it's safe to say that the residents of Sacramento would say the same given how hard he's worked for them this season.