Patrick Beverley Slams ESPN for Russell Westbrook Ranking

Teammates with Russell Westbrook on the Los Angeles Lakers, Patrick Beverley became close friends with the former league MVP after the two had gone at it for years on and off the court. With ESPN ranking the LA Clippers point guard 94th on their latest top-100 ranking, Beverley called the network out for what he felt was an unfair assessment of Westbrook.

"It’s a joke. It’s really a joke," Beverley said on the latest episode of his Pat Bev Pod. "He averaged a triple-double twice. Most triple-doubles off the bench when he was demoted into another role. Awful."

Recognizing Westbrook's impressive feat of averaging a triple-double numerous times, Beverley actually sold him short on two seasons, as the all-time leader in triple-doubles averaged a triple double in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021. Winning the MVP award in 2017, Westbrook averaged a 30 PPG triple double, which had only even been done by Oscar Robertson in 1962.

While Westbrook's accomplishments from 2017-2021 are not factored into his league ranking in 2023, Beverley also made another strong point about the play Westbrook had with the Lakers after being demoted to the bench. Accepting that role, Westbrook quickly broke the record for most triple-doubles off the bench in NBA history. Now with the Clippers, Westbrook has shown he is still a very high-level player, and deserving of a much higher ranking than what ESPN gave him.

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