During an interview with NBA reporter Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, Los Angeles Clippers guard Russell Westbrook said “ain’t nobody better than me coming off the bench.”
Westbrook has been coming off the bench for the Clippers since late October.
“I know who I am and what I’m able to bring to the game,” Westbrook said. “Nobody’s able to do what I can do since I got in this league. And the reason why I’m in the position I’m in is because nobody ever knew I could do [it on a] night-in and night-out basis.
“Ain’t nobody better than me coming off the bench, in this league.”
Westbrook has appeared in 67 games for the Clippers this season. He’s averaging 11.2 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 45.4% from the field, 27.3% from beyond the arc and 69.6% from the free-throw line.
One of the greatest players in NBA history, Westbrook is averaging 14.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.5 assists as a starter and 10.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists as a reserve.
“When I’m on the floor, I’m able to do other things,” Westbrook said. “Defend at a high level, which I think I’ve been doing pretty much better than anybody in the league this year.”
Westbrook signed a two-year, $7.9 million contract with the Clippers last summer in free agency. He’s making $3.8 million this season and has a player option worth $4 million for next season.
“If I’m here, if I’m there, I’ll do whatever the team is asking me to do,” Westbrook said. “I think there’s a narrative that people have made up that I have been fighting against …. But I’m always a team-first guy.
“I know how good I still am. So it doesn’t matter — starting or coming off the bench — because I know and understand what I bring to the game.”
The Clippers are 51-28 on the season. They are in fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
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