Iverson was a prolific scorer, averaging over 30 points per game in his career. Westbrook is the first player to average a triple-double since Oscar Robertson did so in 1962. Russell Westbrook has been compared to Allen Iverson by many fans and analysts for their similarities in play style, but it’s difficult to compare two players with such different styles of play.
Allen Iverson was one of the best basketball players to ever play the game. He is known for his scoring, passing, and rebounding abilities. Despite playing in different eras, he has said that Russell Westbrook reminds him of himself.
Basketball fans born in the late 1980s or early 1990s were fortunate enough to see Allen Iverson is a basketball player from the United States. and Russell Westbrook at their peak.
Iverson wowed audiences with crossovers and clutch shots on his way to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Westbrook, the triple-double machine (and stat padder), is on track to catch up to him within the next ten years. Despite their disparities in playing styles, Iverson saw enough in Westbrook to lavish him with praise.
Russell Westbrook reminded Allen Iverson of himself.
Russell Westbrook’s attitude and play style appeal to NBA great Allen Iverson | Prince Williams/Wireimage via Getty Images; Will Newton/Getty Images
Iverson and Westbrook aren’t exactly twins based on appearance alone — and we’re not talking about their haircuts. For what it’s worth, we like Iverson’s signature cornrows.
Despite this, Iverson stated in a 2016 interview with Complex that Westbrook is the player that reminds him the most of himself. Even though they had distinct skill sets, the 2001 NBA MVP said something about the All-Star guard’s mentality appealed to him.
“It’s just his tenacity, his passion, his energy, and the way he goes all out every night. That’s how he makes me feel.”
Allen Iverson
Westbrook, according to Iverson, is constantly in “attack mode.” We can all agree that this is an area where both athletes have excelled throughout the years.
Iverson is right in stating that his and Westbrook’s playing styles were very different.
One of the most appealing aspects of basketball is how unique each player is, even if they play the same position or have the same title. Two of the best point guards in NBA history are Chris Paul and Stephen Curry. Even yet, their play styles are so unlike — Paul is a floor general, while Curry is a prolific sniper — that it’s difficult to make a direct comparison.
Iverson and Westbrook are in the same boat. Both will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame at some time in the future — Iverson was already inducted in 2016 — and are two of the most explosive players of their respective periods.
However, they were successful as guards in various capacities. Iverson was a slasher who sliced through defenses, averaging 26.7 points and 2.2 steals a game over the course of his career. He was a very dangerous scoring threat, while having relatively high assist totals for a shooting guard and stepping up assist-wise when the 76ers needed him at point guard.
That isn’t a knock on Westbrook, who has a lifetime scoring average of 23.2 points per game. We don’t think of him as a player who runs to the hoop and battles through defenders like Allen Iverson used to. Instead, the nine-time All-Star outscores opponents with his shooting, ball-handling, and ability to go to the basket and collect a lot of rebounds.
In four of the past five seasons, Westbrook has averaged a triple-double. It’s difficult to dispute that he’s basically an all-purpose weapon in an NFL offense, whether you consider him a stat padder or not. For all intents and purposes, Westbrook is Christian McCaffrey, and Iverson is Randy Moss, the seasoned No. 1 receiver who, although not as well-rounded as McCaffrey, is still a formidable opponent.
Westbrook is on track to join Iverson in the Hall of Fame one day.
Regardless of the sport, there comes a point in a player’s career when you can tell whether they’re destined for the Hall of Fame or if they’ll need some assistance. LeBron James will have no trouble getting in, but Kevin Love, a former teammate, is unlikely to have the same luck.
Basketball-Reference offers a measure called Hall of Fame Probability that combines math and science — two of your son’s favorite subjects — to evaluate if a player deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame based on their achievements.
With a 99.93 HoF probability score entering the 2021-22 season, Westbrook is ranked 40th all-time. Every qualifying player ahead of him is in the Hall of Fame, including Iverson, who ranks 30th all-time with a 99.98 score. Twenty-eight players, ranging from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers to Isiah Thomas of the Detroit Pistons, had a perfect score.
On the rankings list, not every player in the Hall of Fame received a perfect score of 100 percent. Kevin McHale of the Boston Celtics, for example, has a 98.64 score in the Hall of Fame. Westbrook will ultimately join Iverson, McHale, and hundreds of other basketball luminaries in achieving the remarkable accomplishment, thanks in large part to his “attack mode” approach.
Basketball-Reference provided all stats.
If Larry Brown had his way, the 76ers might have traded Allen Iverson in 1999.
Russell Westbrook is best known for his triple-double game on February 11, 2016. Allen Iverson said that Westbrook reminded him of himself despite their differing play styles. Reference: russell westbrook news.
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