Russell Westbrook is the fastest NBA player
Speed and acceleration are crucial attributes for success in today‘s NBA. Given the pace and space style of play, players need the quickness and burst to attack defenses before they get set. Fast players who can blow by defenders put pressure on rotations, create advantages, and unlock easier scoring opportunities.
Over the past decade, Russell Westbrook has cemented himself as the league‘s fastest and most athletic guard. Westbrook attacks the rim fearlessly and can go from 0-to-60 in a blink thanks to his combination of top-end velocity and explosive leaping ability.
Just How Fast is Russell Westbrook?
In 2016, the NBA began tracking player speed using chips installed in jerseys and courtside monitors. The findings were astounding:
Westbrook clocked a max speed of 21.6 mph back in 2019 – the highest ever recorded in the NBA‘s advanced tracking era. To put that in perspective, that is nearly as fast as an Olympic sprinter!
Westbrook‘s average max speed last season was 19.74 mph.
He reached at least 15 mph a stunning 220 times last season, over 80 more times than any other player.
Westbrook‘s rare combination of top speed and acceleration puts him in a tier of his own when it comes to NBA athleticism. Only 3-4 steps is all it takes for him to explode to max velocity on rips to the basket or fast breaks.
How Westbrook‘s Speed Impacts the Game
You constantly see Westbrook‘s ludicrous speed translate to easy buckets or hockey assists:
He attacks closeouts so rapidly that help defenders fail to rotate in time to cut him off at the rim. This also draws multiple defenders, allowing Russ to spray passes out to open shooters.
In transition, Westbrook leaks out early, reaches top speed extraordinarily quickly, and beats entire defenses down the floor for dunks.
Westbrook‘s activity and effort level on defense is exceptional thanks largely to his ability to cover so much ground so swiftly. He frequently tracks down players from behind for chase-down blocks.
Advanced impact metrics quantify Westbrook‘s speed and energy level too. He consistently ranks near the top of the NBA in stats like distance covered per game, average speed on offense, and top speed reached:
Who Else Brings Elite NBA Speed?
While Russell Westbrook takes the cake when discussing the NBA‘s fastest players, several other young athletes could challenge his title in the years to come:
De‘Aaron Fox
The lightning quick Kings guard cracked SportScience‘s all-time athletic formula score thanks to his sensational end-to-end speed. Fox reached 19.5 mph on a 94 foot coast to coast dash against the Nets as a rookie. With a faster first step than Westbrook, Fox may be the only player capable of eventually eclipsing Russ for fastest player honors.
Ja Morant
The bouncy Grizzlies superstar lit the league on fire last postseason with an array of explosive dunks. Morant possesses unprecedented vertical athleticism for a point guard and has been clocked at 19 mph on open court assaults.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
At 6‘11" with a 7‘3" wingspan, Giannis is an athletic anomaly. The Greek Freak‘s Euro step demolishes defenses as he exploits impossibly long strides. Giannis reached 20 mph on a end-to-end slam against the Bulls last season and has clearly separated himself as the fastest physical freak big man today.
Several other young guards like Anthony Edwards, Jaden Ivey, and Darius Garland also flash mesmerizing speed and acceleration that could land them among the fastest tracked in coming years. But Russell Westbrook remains king thanks to his overwhelming physical gifts that have single-handedlyElevated the athletic expectations for point guards.
