Video: How do Russell Westbrook and Michael Jordan Stack Up

We've long compared Russell Westbrook's Type A personality to that of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. After watching episodes five and six of The Last Dance on ESPN, you can make the argument that some of the comparisons between Jordan and Westbrook are dead-on, while others are a stretch.

See y'all next Sunday pic.twitter.com/tDEzJQNi6u
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 4, 2020

The first thing that stands out is just how grounded Westbrook seems, but I could be getting fooled by his social media post that always shows him enjoying home life with his wife and kids. That part of his life has never been off-limits; he's not exploiting his family, but he's not hiding them either. Jordan, on the other hand, is guarded to a fault - he never wants you to see behind the curtain. Up until Sam Smith's book The Jordan Rules, all you ever knew was what Nike and Jordan wanted to you know.

The other main difference is that Westbrook seems to be able to turn off his competitive switch long enough to relax away from the court. Jordan is the guy that takes his day off to play golf and gamble. As Jordan put it, "I have a competition problem, a competitive problem." That "problem" helped Jordan win six championships and lead him into NBA ownership. Even if he were to spend the next 20 years in counseling, that itch would never get scratched.

Name a more iconic trio #MJMondays pic.twitter.com/yQoSuFborl
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) May 4, 2020

If you're looking for similarities between Jordan and Westbrook, it's most obvious in how they control the message. For Westbrook, you simply tell reporters "next question" or butt in when you don't like what Steven Adams is being asked. When Jordan didn't like being criticized for spending a night in Atlantic City before an Eastern Conference Finals game or having his gambling debts exposed, he got Ahamad Rashad to interview him on NBC. Jordan knew Rashad wouldn't be a bulldog and would present Jordan in a more favorable light.

Rashad asked his boss to write the questions because he didn't want to look soft. Still, Jordan was dictating the terms of the interview right down to never taking off his wayfarer sunglasses.

Westbrook may not be exactly "like Mike", but, in a lot of ways, he took Michael's template and smoothed out the rough edges. Russ is still in control of what is being said, but he gives you just enough of a peek into his life that you feel he isn't just a logo.

Add us as a preferred source on Google