Despite the frustrations with his play, there can be no denying that Russell Westbrook is one of the most passionate players in the NBA. Westbrook always gives it his all on the court and fights till the end. And when someone questions Westbrook’s fighting spirit and his integrity, he does not like it.
One referee learned that lesson during the recent game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat. During the game, Westbrook got bumped by Bam Adebayo on his way to the basket. But the referee called a foul on Westbrook rather than Adebayo.
When he asked the referee why Adebayo was not called for an offensive foul, the referee, quite bluntly, told Westbrook that he had flopped. Westbrook was furious with this, yelling at the referee that he doesn’t flop and that he takes hits during the game. Clearly, Westbrook was quite insulted by the referee’s comments.
“I don’t flop! I take hits right here. I don’t motherf*cking flop.”
Westbrook did not take kindly to the referee questioning his integrity and suggesting that he was making the most of the contact from Adebayo. But in the end, it did not matter, as the referee did not change his decision, and the Miami Heat got two free throws in the game.
The Lakers lost to the Miami Heat, but then made amends by beating the Brooklyn Nets. It was a solid performance from the Lakers, who finally got their big three back when Anthony Davis returned. Fans were thrilled to see how the Lakers played that night.
But Westbrook has been linked away from the Lakers, with his former team the Rockets emerging as the only potential landing spot. But one anonymous source said that the Lakers won’t be trading Westbrook, and Marc Stein corroborated this by saying that they don’t want to attach a piece with Westbrook to complete the trade.
