Skip Bayless Doubles Down on Russell ‘Westbrick’ Criticism After Getting Ripped by Draymond Green

Skip Bayless made his name years before “First Take” existed by refusing to soften an opinion regardless of who pushed back. That reputation has followed him through three decades and countless targets. On Aug. 12, one of his longest-running targets, Russell Westbrook, retired after 18 seasons, and Bayless posted a video criticizing the former MVP.

Two days later, after Draymond Green called basketball fans hypocrites on his own show, Bayless decided respectful wasn’t going to cut it anymore.

Green congratulated Westbrook on his career before turning his frustration on the fans and critics who spent nearly a decade tearing him down. “Basketball fans, y’all suck,” Green said. “And by the way, I am a basketball fan, so you can throw me in that category, too. ... Because for the last 8 to 10 years, all this guy has heard is how bad he sucks, how he don’t shoot it well, how he stat pads, and how he messes up teams… Westbrick, and all the things y’all said about him."

Bayless responded, saying:

“Draymond ripped me, and I like Draymond. But they all had a problem with my opinion of Russell Westbrook’s career, in which I said he will no doubt be a first-ballot Hall of Famer ... but he wouldn’t be in my Hall of Fame. I don’t hate Russell Westbrook, but I guess you could say I’ve hated his game for 15 years. I never backed off. And now I’m going to double down.”

Russell Westbrook finished his career shooting 30.4% from three. He’s among the least efficient volume 3-point shooters of his generation, and his 5,038 turnovers rank second all-time in NBA history, trailing only LeBron James, who has played five more seasons.

He also noted that Westbrook led the league in shot attempts as a point guard for four consecutive seasons, shot 44% from the field for his career, well below the 52% Magic Johnson and John Stockton posted at the same position, and finished top-five in the league in turnovers nine separate times.

Thunder GM Sam Presti issued a statement calling Westbrook “the ultimate competitor” whose “internal belief and unbridled fearlessness helped establish the foundation of our organization from day one.” Westbrook’s greatest individual season, 2016-17, when he averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists, won him the MVP, and he set the NBA record with 42 triple-doubles in a single season. 

The Numbers Bayless Is Using, and Why They Don’t Fully Settle the Argument

The turnover totals are real. The shooting inefficiency, particularly from three, is real and well-documented across his career. The volume-over-efficiency criticism that trailed Westbrook from Oklahoma City through Houston, Washington, the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, and Kings is based on actual box scores, not the narrative alone. 

Green argued that a player can be flawed and still deserve acknowledgment while he’s still playing rather than only once he’s gone. And that the criticism directed at Russell Westbrook is louder than what the numbers alone would justify.

Westbrook’s competitive style made him a natural target for fans who preferred a smoother, more efficient brand of stardom. And Bayless has been arguably the most consistent, longest-running voice arguing that style should count against him in any all-time reckoning.