Kobe Bryant to Russell Westbrook's critics: 'Stop it'
Kobe Bryant knows a thing or two about volume scoring.
The two-time scoring champion has averaged at least 20 field-goal attempts per game and posted a Usage Rate above 30 percent in 13 of his last 15 seasons, famously averaging more than 35 points per game in 2005-06.
But Bryant also knows all about dealing with criticism surrounding his shot selection and shot frequency, which means he can certainly empathize with Russell Westbrook.
On Sunday, Westbrook scored a career-high 54 points - to go along with nine rebounds and eight assists - in a crushing loss, leading some to quip that the MVP candidate's 43 field-goal attempts were detrimental to his Oklahoma City Thunder team.
Bryant had two words for those critics, with a little help from Tina Fey.
#StopIt pic.twitter.com/pPRO8BnF4P
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 13, 2015
For what it's worth, here's how Bryant's epic 2005-06 season compares with Westbrook's memorable 2014-15 campaign.
| Season | PPG | USG% | FGA per 100 poss. | PPP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryant 2005-06 | 35.4 | 38.7 | 35 | 1.14 |
| Westbrook 2014-15 | 27.9 | 38.3 | 32 | 1.10 |
There are plenty of occasions over the course of a high-usage player's career when an impressive scoring total is a poor measure of an otherwise inefficient performance. Scoring 54 points while producing more than 1.11 points per possession, dishing out eight assists compared to two turnovers, and collecting nine rebounds in 40 minutes of action is not one of those instances.
In other words, if you took exception to Westbrook's incredible performance on Sunday, just #StopIt.