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Kendrick Perkins gets honest about Russell Westbrook's legacy with the OKC Thunder originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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With Russell Westbrook's amazing career coming to an end, many people have been looking back on it. One of those people is former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Kendrick Perkins. The player-turned ESPN media member has always been a Westbrook supporter despite their rocky fallout from a couple of years ago.
Despite that, it seems Perkins still appreciates what Westbrook has done for the game of basketball. At the same time, he wanted to highlight what Westbrook did in OKC, in particular, because that is probably the best part of his 18-year career that just came to an end.
Kendrick Perkins speaks about Russell Westbrook's lasting legacy for the Thunder
Westbrook remains one of the most impressive players of the modern generation. He managed to average a triple-double across multiple seasons, which is a monumental achievement that is only replicated by Oscar Robertson decades ago.
While Westbrook did not win a championship in his NBA career, that does not mean that he did not have an impact on the league. He made sure that the point guard position remained versatile. The game made point guards more of a score-first position, but Westbrook did that alongside his rebounding and playmaking.
MORE: Russell Westbrook retires from the NBA after his future became uncertain
With his competitive nature, it is not surprising that Westbrook impressed a lot of people throughout his NBA career. This has led to him being placed highly in all-time rankings, which includes Perkins, who believes that he belongs in the upper echelon of all-time point guards.
"I haven't spoken to Russ in a minute, but I've got real love for Russell Westbrook... Not only should he have his jersey retired in Oklahoma City, but he should also have a statue. After SGA, Russ in my eyes is the second-greatest Thunder of all time," Perkins said in reaction to Westbrook's sudden retirement .
Unfortunately, Westbrook ends his 18-year career without a championship. However, that does not take away from what he has done in the league becuase his legacy will age wonderfully. He had everything besides the NBA championship, but his career will be seen as one of the best stories in the past two decades.
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