Jalen Rose is pounding the table for Russell Westbrook as he continues his triple-double rampage through the NBA. The Washington Wizards point guard tied Oscar Robertson over the weekend as the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles. Westbrook has helped guide the Wizards from dead on arrival at the start of April to being a near-lock at making the new NBA play-in tournament.
“He got a chance to be the MVP when they [James Harden and Kevin Durant] both left, he got a chance to join Harden in Houston, and you know what else?” Rose asked on NBA Countdown. “Everybody got a chance to slander Russ’ name. Players in the league, people in the media. Now all of a sudden he’s breaking a historical record by the Big-O that we never thought would be broken.”
Rose has long been an advocate of the controversial playing style Russell Westbrook embodies. Westbrook has been criticized for his inefficiency and stat-padding but Rose isn’t having it.
“I would like somebody to send me a personal compilation of all the people that slandered Russ over the last ten years because it seems like I’m his defense attorney. This guy when he’s been healthy has been outstanding Maria, and he’s now along with Bradley Beal propelling the Washington Wizards.”
Rose also made waves on Sunday’s NBA Countdown with an emotional Mother’s Day tribute to his late mom, Jeanne, who passed away earlier this year. Rose’s mother came up with the name “Jalen” for her son and was a huge influence in his life as he grew up without knowing his father.
“We fell in love with basketball together,” Rose said in the tribute. “My father played in the league, and to not know him she was like ‘You gonna make it, you’re going to get us out the hood, I promise you,’ and I did it, and we did it.”