Russell Westbrook’s retirement gives everyone a chance to look back at his incredible basketball career and weigh his legacy.
Westbrook is unquestionably going to have his place in Springfield one day as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, and like many Oklahoma City Thunder fans, Kendrick Perkins is championing the retirement of the former NBA Most Valuable Player’s jersey in OKC.
But in saying so, Perkins also revealed where he ranks Westbrook on his personal all-time Thunder list.
“Not only should he have his jersey retired in Oklahoma City, but he should have a statue out there as well. Because after SGA, Russ, in my eyes, is the 2nd-greatest Thunder of all time,” Perkins said, via Clemente Almanza of The Thunder Wire.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a strong case to be most people’s greatest Thunder of all time, as he brought to Oklahoma City what neither Kevin Durant nor Westbrook was able to, having already led the franchise to an NBA title. SGA also has two NBA MVP trophies to Westbrook’s one.
Then again, Westbrook has a strong case of his own. For one, he averaged a triple-double for an entire season three times in Thunder uniform.
At the end of the day, it’s a subject that is perhaps best tackled for another day, as fans can simply appreciate Westbrook’s memorable time in the NBA as a player.
