Add second-year Houston Rockets center Isaiah Hartenstein to a long list of NBA players that have raved about the qualities of nine-time All-Star guard Russell Westbrook as a teammate.
In a new Facebook Q&A with broadcaster Craig Ackerman, the 21-year-old seven-footer was asked about the locker-room qualities of his teammates in Houston. After selecting Danuel House Jr. as his funniest teammate, Hartenstein pointed to Westbrook as among the most serious.
Hartenstein explains:
Russ gets serious right before tipoff, he’s in his mode. … He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. When people start talking about he’s not a good teammate and stuff like that, I’ve never really got that. He’s a great guy to be around. He helps me whenever I need help.
I’m impressed what I’ve seen from Russ, just how focused he is when the game starts. To me he cares a lot about the team, and whenever you need help, he’ll help you. So I love him as a teammate.
The comments from Hartenstein are reminiscent of what has previously been said about Westbrook by former Oklahoma City teammates such as Enes Kanter, Mitch McGary, and Alex Abrines.
In his first season playing with Hartenstein and the Rockets (40-24), Westbrook is scoring 27.5 points per game on a career-high shooting percentage of 47.4% from the field. The NBA’s 2017 MVP is also averaging 8.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.7 steals in 35.9 minutes.
