Basketball players aren’t often compared to boxers, but that’s exactly what Bucks coach Jason Kidd did prior to his team’s game against the Thunder on Tuesday.
Kidd, a former NBA All-Star point guard, said Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook is the “Mike Tyson of basketball” because of his style of play.
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"When the jump ball [goes up], he is coming as Tyson did [in getting] off the stool,” Kidd told ESPN on Tuesday. “When the bell rings, he's coming for you. Whenever he's on the floor, he plays at one speed and that's fast and hard."
Russ uses his dribble to get on the board on Halloween!
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In 2016-17, Westbrook became the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1961-62 to average a triple-double for an entire season. This season, Westbrook is averaging 20.2 points, 12.2 assists and 9.8 rebounds through the Thunder’s first six contests. He finished his team's 110-91 win Tuesday over Milwaukee with 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
Oklahoma City retooled its roster around Westbrook in the offseason, adding Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks and Paul George from the Pacers, but it's still Russ' show.
"He's the best in the game," said Kidd, who had to guard Westbrook late in his playing career. "(He) puts a lot of pressure on your defense, offensively and defensively. For him, he can make the adjustment, play with talented guys like George and Melo. For him, his game doesn't change. He puts a lot of pressure offensively on that break, just finding the open guy and making the game easy."
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That's high praise from a future Hall of Fame inductee who played 19 NBA seasons (and was an All-Star in 10 of them), has a ring and has coached in the league the past five years.