The Sacramento Kings made the decision to sign Russell Westbrook late in the offseason. Westbrook was surprisingly still available after a solid season with the Nuggets. Westbrook was a key member of their bench, giving them minutes they needed.
Now in Sacramento, Westbrook has put his time in Denver behind him. He has started out his Kings tenure with some strong play. In a game against the Warriors, he had a triple-double, putting up 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in a winning effort.
Following the game, Westbrook was made available to the media. He gave the media a bold take about his place in NBA history have he passed an all-time legend in an impressive stat.
Sacramento Kings Guard Russell Westbrook Claims he’s The Best Rebounding Guard Ever
With his performance against Golden State, Westbrook became the NBA’s all-time rebounder at the guard position, passing Jason Kidd. He then proclaimed himself the greatest rebounder at the guard spot in the history of basketball.
“Humbly speaking, I’m the best rebounding guard ever. So when the ball comes across the rim, I’m going to get it.”
The former MVP has a statistical argument on his side. Passing Kidd for the most rebounds ever by a guard is no joke. However, there were years in Oklahoma City when he was the only one allowed to grab rebounds as he chased Oscar Robertson’s triple-double record.
Even with that being the case, Westbrook’s tenacity has to be admired. He holds an 11.6 percent rebounding percentage for his career, according to NBA.com. Westbrook’s effort is a big reason for why he’s able to grab as many rebounds as he does on a nightly basis.
The Kings are 11th in the Western Conference standings at the moment, and they aren’t fully healthy yet. Westbrook has been inserted into the starting lineup while they get healthier. So far, Westbrook seems to be taking advantage of an increase in minutes.
Sacramento Kings Guard Russell Westbrook Proves He Can Play at High Level
Despite his advanced age, Westbrook has proven he can still play at a high level. He’s shooting the ball at an incredible rate from deep, canning 43 percent of his shots. That’s a number that will fall back to Earth at some point, but his ability to hit wide-open 3’s has made the Kings dangerous.
Keegan Murray suffered a UCL tear before the season, and he won’t be re-evaluated for another few weeks. Zach LaVine has been dealing with some back issues, and has been in and out of the starting lineup. Having someone like Westbrook being able to fill in for them is key.
If the Kings are looking to make the playoffs this year, they will need this kind of output from Westbrook even when he returns to the bench. He’ll likely finish games if he keeps putting up solid numbers like this, which is what this team needs.
Westbrook is on a one-year deal and he turns 37 years old next week. He’s still proving to be one of the most productive guards in the league.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Kings Guard Russell Westbrook Makes Bold Claim About His Place in History appeared first on Heavy Sports.