Personally, I truly love Russell Westbrook. I love his grit, his grind, his hustle, and his commitment. But as a guy that has watched him since the very first day he entered the league, I also have to acknowledge that he’s his own worst enemy.
Westbrook’s terrible decision-making in the clutch and in the playoffs, and the way he deals with media, fans, and rivals just scare away other top-tier players that could be interested in signing with the Thunder.
It looks like he’s never going to step up as a leader and truly do what’s best for his team. He lacks any sense of self-criticism and would much rather stat pad than try and find the open guy to get a better look at the rim.
Moreover, his constant antics have really earned him a lot of detractors in the league, and I’m not just talking about fans, but also NBA players. Today, we’re going to let you know about some of the players that really hate Russell Westbrook.
7. Jeremy Lamb
The reasons why Jeremy Lamb hates Russell Westbrook are still undisclosed, but he refused to give him a high-five mid game when they were still teammates and then cold-bloodedly stared at him.
Westbrook even admitted that there was something going on between the two of them, but played down the issue claiming they had already cleared the air. Perhaps he had something to do with Lamb’s departure.
6. Serge Ibaka
Serge Ibaka doesn’t hate Russell Westbrook per se. They shared a lot of great moments in the court, including an impressive playoff run and a trip to the NBA Finals, where they eventually lost against LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
Still, the big man openly called him out for the way he refused to trust the rest of his teammates during key stretches of the game, even going as far as to claim that it was “hard” to play with him from time to time.
5. Kevin Durant
It looks like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have finally buried the hatchet and that their little personal feud has come to an end, but they couldn’t even see each other during Durant’s first season with the Warriors.
Westbrook took a shot at some of Durant’s comments with his pre-game shirts, and Durant didn’t hesitate for a second to get on his face more than once when they played against each other.
4. Stephen Curry
Russell Westbrook can be so annoying at times, that he even managed to get in a scuffle with Stephen Curry, one of the coolest, most easy-going guys in the league, yet he almost punch him in the face once.
Moreover, Westbrook made fun of Curry’s poor defense on him once in the playoffs and drew a lot of criticism for his lack of modesty. Now, Curry’s a three-time NBA Champion, even with his poor defense.
3. Joel Embiid
Well, on Westbrook’s defense, pretty much every single guy in the league hate Joel Embiid’s guts. Embiid’s big mouth is going to get him in a lot of trouble one day, and it looks like Westbrook always gets the last laugh against him.
Embiid has tried to get in Westbrook’s head over and over, but the Thunder always end up on top of the Sixers when they face each other. As a matter of fact, I actually think Westbrook hates Embiid more than Embiid hates him.
2. Damian Lillard
Russell Westbrook complained and got mad at Damian Lillard just because dame completely clamped him on defense and torched him in the other end. He tried to prove he was better than Lillard, instead of trying to lead the Thunder to a win.
Lillard acknowledged that he was at the Thunder because of the way they disrespected them in game 3 of the playoffs, but eventually let his game do all of the talking for him. Obviously, he got the last laugh.
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1. Jusuf Nurkic
And the guy that definitely hates Russell Westbrook the most has to be Jusuf Nurkic, who’s constantly trying to take petty shots at him every time he messes up on social media (and it’s hilarious).
Nurkic’s latest mockery of Westbrook was one for the ages. He wore a white shirt with a lot of bricks that read “Got Bricks? Next Question”, taking a shot at Russ for his attitude towards the media and his terrible shooting.
