Considering all the criticism that has come his way since he joined the Los Angeles Lakers, it is great to see Russell Westbrook get some love for once. He deserves all of it, not only for the way he has played these last two games but also for accepting this new bench role.
Russ has thrived in it so far and was instrumental in the Lakers finally getting their first win of the season against the Nuggets. Lakers fans had a lot of love for him after that display and maybe, just maybe, this Westbrook experiment in LA might work out.
Russell Westbrook Says He Loves Seeing His Teammates Flourish
He finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in the game and was efficient, as he shot 50% from the field and had just 3 turnovers. Anthony Davis went over to Russ in the locker room to tell him how proud he was that Russ accepted his new role and Westbrook spoke after the game about his mindset when it comes to basketball.
(starts at 2:01 mark):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAuLbnM-pl0
“One thing that I never will let happen is people outside of my family and people that support me take my joy. I always have fun and embrace this game and embrace the gift I’ve been given to be able to go out and compete. Yes, winning makes you feel better about yourself and when you’re losing, it’s not as much fun. I love seeing my teammates flourish, honestly I get joy by seeing others do great. My whole career, what lifts me up is to see others do well and tonight was that night when guys were making shots, competing and that’s all you can ask for.”
Say what you want about Russ and his game, but he has helped his teammates have a lot of success during his career. Bradley Beal is a great recent example of someone who thrived while playing alongside Westbrook and that is something that has been forgotten since he got to LA.
He has also dispelled all the talk about him being too stubborn and not being a team player by accepting this bench role. A player of his caliber agreeing to this is not something we see often and head coach Darvin Ham revealed how he managed to convince Russ to do it. It has paid off for all parties so far and for their sake; we hope it continues to.
