Russell Westbrook closed out an 18-year career with a tribute video honoring his all-time triple-double record and MVP season. One of his peers was handed the chance to rank him against two of his most decorated contemporaries, and didn’t hesitate to leave him off the list entirely.
On Nightcap, Shannon Sharpe put Joe Johnson through a Start, Bench, Cut exercise involving three point guards: 73-9 Stephen Curry, championship Kyrie Irving, and triple-double Westbrook.
Johnson’s response: Curry to start, Irving to the bench, and Westbrook cut entirely. (h/t) NBA Hoops.
Westbrook is the NBA’s all-time triple-double leader with 209, a nine-time All-Star and the 2017 MVP. One of only two players in league history, alongside LeBron James, to surpass both 25,000 career points and 10,000 assists.
The comparison itself was built around the peak seasons of each player rather than their full-career stats. Curry’s record-breaking 73-win 2015-16 Warriors season, Irving’s 2016 championship run alongside LeBron James in Cleveland and Westbrook’s historic triple-double seasons in Oklahoma City.
Irving’s Championship Case Wasn’t Enough for the Top Spot Either
Irving didn’t escape either. He, arguably, has the single most iconic shot of the three players’ careers: his championship-clinching three over Curry himself in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, which helped to complete the Cavaliers’ comeback from a 3-1 deficit against a 73-win Warriors team.
Even with that signature moment in his résumé, Johnson still slotted Irving behind Curry. He opted for the bench rather than the starting nod.
Johnson’s rankings aren’t new. It is a long-running debate about how to compare regular-season dominance and statistical volume against championship pedigree and clutch moments when comparing point guards of the same era.
Curry’s inclusion as the unanimous starter makes sense given the 73-9 season remains the benchmark for a single NBA campaign. But the comparison Johnson made between Irving and Westbrook- the bench versus an outright cut- suggests that a “tougher” playoff success over a regular-season “stat-stuffing” is what separates one from the other.
It’s a debate NBA fans have had for years without coming to any agreement. And one that’s likely to come up repeatedly now that Westbrook’s career has come to an end.
