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LeBron James Delivers Strong Statement on Russell Westbrook's NBA Career

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ashish Mathur | Last updated May 20, 2025 3:10 PM ET

NBA legends LeBron James and Russell Westbrook were teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22 and 2022-23 before the Lakers traded Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in February 2023.

Westbrook's run with the Lakers wasn't successful. The team went only 56-74 when the former MVP was in the lineup and Lakers fans even booed Westbrook during home games.

James, though, didn't let his stint with Westbrook on the Lakers prevent him from praising the former Oklahoma City Thunder superstar.

On the latest episode of "Mind the Game" with Hall of Famer Steve Nash, James spoke about how "special" Westbrook was during his prime with the Thunder.

"Every time Russ stepped on the court, oh, this guy's special," James said. "We've never seen anything like this. Soon as he get on the court, it's a missile."

Westbrook entered the NBA in 2008 as the fourth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. He has played for the Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Lakers, Clippers and Denver Nuggets.

During his prime, Westbrook was arguably the fastest and most explosive player in the NBA. The UCLA product was a blur in transition and routinely dunked over centers.

Westbrook, like James, will be in the Hall of Fame one day. He has made nine All-Star teams and nine All-NBA teams and has won two scoring titles and three steals titles.

The 36-year-old Westbrook won the 2016-17 MVP Award with the Thunder.

A California native, Westbrook is the NBA's all-time leader in triple-doubles. He has career averages of 21.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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