Gilbert Arenas is frustrated by the criticism directed at Russell Westbrook and he is speaking out about it.
On his show, Arenas pointed out the trend of undermining Westbrook’s historic triple-double record and how detractors are attempting to diminish his talent and legacy.
Russell holds the NBA record for the most triple-doubles, a fact that Arena believes people are too quick to overlook.
“It’s strange because it seems like they are trying to discredit his triple-doubles because it came too easily for him,” remarked Arenas on Gil’s Arena. “He’s making history and when individuals have idols, it’s difficult for them to let go sometimes. I believe that in trying to say ‘These statistics are not genuine,’ you are showing disrespect to the man achieving them. These same individuals who vote for MVP hold your legacy in their hands, so if you don’t cater to them, they can impact your legacy. And that’s a major issue in sports.”
Even before the start of the season, the disrespect towards Westbrook has already begun.
An ESPN commentator recently criticized Russ, prompting Westbrook’s wife Nina to publicly respond to the incident. This week, Westbrook’s career three-point shooting percentage was discussed on Brian Windhorst’s podcast, The Hoop Collective.
This led Windhorst to comment, “I wouldn’t let him shoot anymore three’s ever even quite honestly.”
During his time with the Clippers last season, Westbrook shot 27.3 percent from three-point range and 45.4 percent from the field.
He will be aiming to improve those numbers as he joins the Nuggets for the first time in the 2024-25 season.
Overall, Westbrook has a career shooting percentage of 30.4 percent.
