UCLA Legend Unpacks Greatness of Ex-Bruins Guard Russell Westbrook

With the 2023-24 college basketball season on the horizon, your UCLA Bruins are entering with significantly lower expectations than they've had in years past. They aren’t expected to be title contenders, but they also aren’t expected to be a bad team.

The Bruins program has seen plenty of talented players come through over the years, leading to great success and historic teams. They have been a great farm system for NBA talent as well, giving the league some of the better players.

One of the standouts over the last 20 years of UCLA men's basketball has been point guard Russell Westbrook. He was drafted fourth overall in the 2008 NBA draft by the Seattle Supersonics and has built out a solid career for himself. Westbrook won the 2017 MVP award, he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and surefire Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer.

From the moment that he touched down in Westwood and got his chance there, he was meant for greatness. He helped lead the Bruins to the Final Four in 2008, where unfortunately they dropped the game to Memphis. But Westbrook was a catalyst for that UCLA team.

Former Bruin Rico Hines recently spoke about Westbrook and had some high praise for the guard.

“First ballot Hall of Famer, one of the best players to ever play the game of basketball. Period… And he’s in here diving on the floor.”

Despite all the criticism that Westbrook has received over the course of his career, he has been special. He has taken it all in stride and has continued to work on his craft. Westbrook will be a future Hall of Famer and was a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary team.