The swan song of Russell Westbrook is a common pattern in the NBA. Veteran player becomes free agent, no NBA team bites, NBA player left with two options – ride off into the sunset or go overseas for a final shot. Russ’ future is still up in the air but another Nuggets legend sees his perspective. And if they’re similar, things might go the Allen Iverson route.

Iverson stopped by Stephen A. Smith’s show on the media rounds for his memoir, Misunderstood. It’s a perfect title for the NBA career he had and Russ is in the same boat. That’s why when Smith asked which current player he sees his own mentality in, The Answer could relate to a number of players.

One player still stands out. “Russ went hard, right?” AI told Smith. “Like Russ, he play every game like it’s his last.” 

Note that he’s telling this to Russell Westbrook’s biggest critic who hasn’t been in the NBA free agent’s good graces since that ‘snitching’ incident. SAS is hot and cold about Russ, sometimes claiming that the Nuggets needed a player like Westbrook. But since his uncertain offseason, Smith’s opinion has varied from urging Russ to reunite with Kevin Durant on the Rockets to criticizing his free agency decision.

The former MVP is the most polarizing subject in the preseason because this might be looking like an Allen Iverson 2.0 situation. However, even in his final years, Iverson returned to the 76ers with the conviction he still has the ability to play at a championship level. A perspective Russ shares and AI reinforces when he says, “his energy level is always the same. You never… it’s not a nonchalant aspect of his game. Everything is full effort.”

In his 17th NBA season, Russ averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 triples per game with the Denver Nuggets. So we can see that Answer mentality. If only history doesn’t repeat itself.

The parallels of Russell Westbrook and Allen Iverson

Russell Westbrook was in his rookie season in 2009 when things were going poorly in Memphis. The team had an aging Allen Iverson marinating in frustration on the bench. It culminated with him abruptly leaving before his contract was up. The Knicks almost swooped him up but pivoted to focusing on a younger player instead.

Stephen A. Smith back then claimed Iverson was about to retire. However, AI made him look very silly when he met the 76ers instead and orchestrated his return to the NBA. Ironically, his first glorious home game back ended in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. He made All-Star upon his return for the 11th straight year.

Despite things looking promising, AI had mentally checked out of the NBA life since Memphis. Coupled with his then four-year-old daughter’s medical condition, he decided abruptly in 2010 he was retiring at age 36. He had a brief return in Turkey that same year but it was cut short by injury.

Russell Westbrook is 36 now, the age that AI called it a career. Amid an injury-ridden season and a troubled Nuggets who lost their coach, Westbrook had high points. But after undergoing surgery, he declined his player option to enter free agency.

There’s, however, no team that’s willing to pay him the money he wants and Russ isn’t settling for the vet minimum. Meanwhile, he’s been highlighting his off-court ventures which seem to indicate he’s also reinforcing his post-NBA plans. Teams haven’t shown a significant interest in him as Westbrook continues to demonstrate he’s got an 18th season in him hoping to sign an NBA contract soon. If Iverson is to be believed about Russ’ mentality, he’s going to see it through.