Westbrook was never one of my favorite players during most of his prime, but seeing how Westbrook has handled his last few years helped me gain a lot of respect for him.
Sure he never was the lead guy on a championship team, but his competitiveness is amazing. He played his best through all the Lakers drama. Westbrook also put up 37 in a playoff game in the most recent playoffs. I’m quite a huge fan of this late-career Westbrook.
Kobe - when I first started following the NBA as a kid, Kobe was the player I liked to root against. Near the end of his career I had nothing but love for him.
I was actively rooting against him and laughing all the whole those first two years. Thought the Celtics had him and the embarrassment would never end for him, then he silenced me and everyone else with that game 6. After that, everything flipped, really enjoyed watching him and I really respect his mental fortitude.
Some of his shit annoys the fuck out of me “spiritually, financially” gtfoh, but he’s been untouchable as a baller for a decade.