UCLA Basketball: NBA All-Star Outraged At Bruins Legend’s ESPN Rank

Something doesn't add up here.

Former UCLA point guard Russell Westbrook has been one of the more controversial players in recent memory. His controversy is not about his off-the-court activities but how fans view him on the court.

Westbrook is a future Hall-of-Fame guard who has amazed audiences over the years with his skill set. But he also tends to do things on the floor that many fans go crazy about, like turning the ball over or taking poorly timed-shots.

However, he has proven himself over time to be one of the better point guards in the league. Even today, he still has showcased to be a valuable member of his team, and he seemed to fit in with the Los Angeles Clippers very well to the end of last season.

But entering the new year, Westbrook was ranked behind multiple rookies on the ESPN top players list, and now a former All-Star has a major problem with that. Former power forward Kenyon Martin Sr. went on a passionate rant about Westbrook being ranked behind players who had never played a minute of NBA basketball. 

The former Bruin was put behind rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and Scoot Henderson of the Portland Trail Blazers. While Westbrook isn't the same player he once was, he doesn't deserve this.

Both Wembanyama and Henderson will likely be great players in their own right, but Martin is correct. Neither of them has played a minute of NBA basketball, and they shouldn't be ranked, let alone be put ahead of a future Hall-of-Famer who is still putting up numbers.

Wembanyama came in at number 47, Henderson at 78, and Westbrook all the way down at 94 of the top 100 Players.

In 21 games with the Clippers last season, Westbrook averaged 15.8 points, 7.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game. He also shot 35.6 percent from deep, showing he could still perform at a high level.

Let's stop disrespecting the greats, even if they aren't as good as they once were.

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