Let’s be honest — Russell Westbrook has taken more heat in the last few years than a microwave burrito at halftime. From the “he’s washed” narratives to people acting like he broke their favorite team’s controller, the disrespect has been loud. But finally, someone stepped up and said what real hoopers already knew. Former NBA guard Raymond Felton didn’t just defend Russ and Paul George — he basically gave them a verbal Hall of Fame induction… while throwing in some locker room visuals nobody asked for but everyone secretly appreciated.

On PG’s podcast, Felton didn’t mince words when talking about Westbrook. He opened with, “That man played the same way in practice the way he do in games… That man was frying people, man.” And just like that, the record scratched for every couch analyst who’s ever called Russ lazy or inefficient. Then came the most unexpected Marvel origin story: “I walk in the locker room, and the dude had his shirt off. I was like… is this dude an action figure?” Felton was in the 12th year of his career when Westbrook showed up like the final boss from NBA Street. “This man going 100 miles per hour at me full speed… I said, ‘Oh, I gotta get my stuff together.’”

Russell Westbrook: powered by PB&J sandwiches and Red Bull. Yes, really. According to Paul George: “I don’t know about the Red Bull, but I know he PB&J’s. Played like he was drinking some.” If that’s not peak Russ, what is? Westbrook may not be putting up 30-point triple-doubles on the daily anymore, but the man’s still contributing — and doing it while having fractured both hands during the season. Who does that?

Let’s look at the receipts: 13.3 PPG, 6.1 APG, 4.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG over 75 games. 44.9 FG%, 32.3 3P% – not Steph levels, but not the brickfest his haters claim. Dropped a 30-piece in April, and let’s not forget the perfect 16-12-10 triple-double on March 17 (zero turnovers — the analytics nerds fainted in joy). All-Star break grade? A fat A, per Athlon.

And that’s not even the wild part — Westbrook played through injury and still opted into another season with Denver. While most are chilling in Cabo, Westbrook’s lining up for offseason surgery with plans to come back stronger.

“People Just Need Something to Talk About…”

Raymond Felton had plenty to say about the media’s obsession with dragging these guys through the mud. “People are always looking for a way to bring you down… They’ve been great since they stepped on the court.” Preach, Ray. He wasn’t done. He basically hit Skip Bayless with a no-look diss: “If you don’t play the game, you ain’t gonna know that… You can’t expect PG of Indiana to be the same PG now.” That’s real talk. PG wasn’t perfect this year, but when healthy, he still puts in work.

With the Sixers, George averaged 16.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, and nearly 2 steals a game in just 41 appearances. His body said “load management” before the Sixers even got a chance to collapse on their own. Finger injuries, leg tweaks — you name it, he had it.

He even admitted he had a “ton of stuff weighing” on him, hinting that adapting to Philly and dealing with all the expectations wasn’t easy. Charles Barkley clowned the “Playoff P” nickname. Bill Simmons said PG looked “bored.” And Stephen A. just called the whole Sixers season a joke. Ouch. But Raymond wasn’t having it. He reminded everyone that PG and Russ are both “major superstars in this league — in the world,” and “these dudes really work.”

Russ isn’t the MVP he once was, and PG didn’t exactly have an All-NBA campaign — but don’t get it twisted. These two still have game, and more importantly, they still have love for the game. As Felton put it: “There’s a lot of guys out there who have that thing, but they really don’t love the game. PG? Russ? They do.” So next time someone’s out here trashing Russ for missing a midrange or saying PG doesn’t care — just remember what Felton said:

“These clowns feel like they got so much to say… and they never did what we did.” And let’s be real — if Russ’s shooting percentage fell sometimes, it still didn’t fall as hard as Lakers fans’ expectations the moment he left. Shirtless or suited, Westbrook’s legacy is safe. The man is still action-figure level elite.