I would have to say no all things considered.
Anthony Bourdain is a Greek tragedy while Russell Westbrook has become a coddled, petulant, spoiled former NBA star who is paid way too much for what is an equal amount to his real value on an NBA roster.
My answer is no.
Did it have to be this way?
I don’t think so. He was coddled by Sam Presti and the Thunder organization to the point where it became hysterical observing Little Nick Gallo protecting him from reasonable questions at Thunder post game pressers.
(Editor’s note: This is Nick Gallo giving Russell Westbrook a lap dance at an official Thunder postgame presser. Tell me with a straight face in what other NBA city would this take place. There isn’t one is the answer.)
What Russell in reality has become is an NBA head coach killer.
Follow the path. Scott Brooks fired a first time in Oklahoma City. Mike D’Antoni fired from the Houston Rockets. Scott Brooks fired a second time around from the Washington Wizards. Frank Vogel fired as the Lakers’ head coach less than twenty months removed from winning the world championship. Only Billy Donovan is still an NBA head coach. Should Billy Donovan receive some sort of Purple Heart award for surviving Russell Westbrook? Maybe.
I tell you what else Russell Westbrook is…he’s complete validation that Kevin Durant did the right thing leaving the Thunder on July 4th, 2016.
Kevin Durant absolutely did the right thing. He never would have won anything if he’d stayed in Oklahoma City. Sam Presti couldn’t put players who could shoot the ball around Durant and couldn’t hire a coach who could reel in Russell Westbrook’s worst basketball instincts in the last six minutes against good teams in critical situations.
To me…Russell Westbrook became a microcosm for the Thunder era in Oklahoma City.
How in the world are the Thunder ever going to win an NBA championship in the league’s most improbable city when they can’t even conduct high school level press conferences after their games?
I think that’s a completely fair question.
I actually called Jim Traber the other day on the air and asked him that question. And he knew I was right, he didn’t take a cheap shot against the Thunder, but instead said to me he had it from reliable sources that all of this has been cleaned up by the Thunder.
I didn’t give in though. I’m very dubious the Thunder as an organization have this in their internal DNA.
But in closing, I will say this in Russell’s behalf…he’s made a lot of money for his family and his agent. I would also add he did what I thought were some very nice things in Oklahoma City while he was here.
I loved the Reading Bus. I love the fact he took that on as his personal crusade in Oklahoma City.
Russell Westbrook isn’t a Mark Messier that’s for certain. When Gretzky and Messier parted ways in Edmonton… it was Messier who went on to lead the NY Rangers to the Cup, while the Great One would never win another ring.
Russell isn’t a Greek Tragedy. Just a sad example of a player who never altered or changed his game as his career moved along and now has the dubious honor of being on a LeBron James’ team which just went 33-49 in an NBA regular season and didn’t even make the Play-In Tournament.
Lol! This place could use an editor. This article might as well be written in crayon. It was a hacky premise to begin with though so there was likely no saving it. Do better.
First off you gave your DT identity away by using the Tom Snyder reference. But that’s okay.
I disagree with your post. It’s not a flawed idea, just a suggestion as to how and why the Thunder are where they are right now.
Russell is an NBA head coach killer. I didn’t even mention PJ because he didn’t even make it through twenty games before he got canned in OKC
Let’s use this analogy…if you’re an NFL general manager and you have a quarterback who can’t check off through his progressions it’s likely you’re never going to advance into the NFL Playoffs.
Russell Westbrook without Kevin Durant at his side never won a singular playoff series in three subsequent seasons in Oklahoma City. Even more telling…the Thunder’s playoff record was 4-12 in those three seasons.
And as we all know…James Harden in reality ran the point in the 2012 Western Conference Playoffs.
Do you know where Russell stands all-time in assists in playoff games only?
Twenty-first is where he ranks, and I think it would be extremely telling to see how many of those playoff assists were to Kevin Durant. Magic ranks first just so you know.
To me…Sam Presti’s inability to appropriately handle the Russell Westbrook situation is indeed a compelling piece of NBA history.
I think what we’ll do on the 405Baller Thunder Journal next week is write the letter Kevin Durant should have written on the Player’s Tribune on July 5th, 2016, instead of the somewhat weak excuse he gave to the media as to why he left the Thunder.
Thanks for the comment. You see on here…it’s not a gulag run by Thunder Girl and her group of feckless little transvestites who now run the Daily Thunder.
Please feel free to comment… you won’t be denied freedom of speech on here.
The truth ultimately will make all of us stronger.
El Prez
The mods there are nice. Just apologize, dude. It’s okay to be wrong and pretty easy to admit when you’re saying inappropriate things. For someone who likes to overuse “feckless”, you seem to have a tough time saying you’re sorry. That makes me sad.
This is a private website. There is no guarantee of “free speech” here nor should there be.
Whats wrong with being a transvestite? I’m European so I know the simple comforts of slipping into a dress from time to time.
This is a private website. It’s not a message board. So as a comment comes in… I just hit approve. I don’t edit any comments. I will admit I’ve kept the Russian porn off of here. I’m fine with the Russian porn, but I don’t want some youngster or OKC Jim stumbling on here and being shocked. If you ever feel I’ve limited your right to comment, please let me know. I’m happy you’re happy being a part-time transvestite. I don’t do that, but by the same token… I consider myself a social liberal and if you want to dress up like Liberace that’s fine with me. I loved the Tom Snyder Show…so nothing really shocks me. I’m very inclusive.
I didn’t really say anything wrong…so why would I apologize. For God’s sake you had people over there texting pics of their genitals and women on top of running washing machines coming to orgasm on top of a washing machine.
Are you people serious?
And btw…I think it’s better I can’t post over there because I’d be banned again in less than three days.
Nice post though. You’re my first European transvestite on here and I like the fact you have a sense of humor. I had an Oklahoma transvestite on my hockey blog once named Big Moe/Big Mona, but never anyone from Europe. We need a better handle for you.
El Prez
Also, if this place was truly “free”, you wouldn’t have to moderate posts before they show up here…
It’s totally free over here. There is no Berlin Wall at okcthunderground.com. There may be Western democratic decadence, but there’s never any suppression of speech.