To say Russell Westbrook’s time with the Lakers has been disappointing would be an understatement. Through the first half of the season, Russ has struggled to fit in with the team and his numbers are down all across the board.
With the team struggling and Russ becoming the target of hate and criticism by frustrated fans, it would make sense if he has come to regret his arrival to Lakerland.
Nevertheless, in a chat with The Athletic, the former MVP denied he’s feeling any bitterness about his move to L.A.
(via Sam Amick of The Athletic)
“I swear, nobody can imagine it for me because everybody thinks about basketball as the end-all-be-all, but it’s really not, you know?” he continued. “Sportswriters, everybody’s got their own opinion. But I really believe that me being able to do (be in LA) and embrace my kids, it makes them — it puts a smile on my face regardless of what’s happening now.”
So while the Lakers may have had second thoughts about this pairing, in other words, he has not.
“No,” he said when asked if he had any regrets about the move. “Nah. I mean, not at all, because — like I told you — it’s bigger than basketball for me.”
The family component is clearly the saving grace for Westbrook’s spirit. Playing in LA means having his loved ones close by in this place where he rose to prominence at Leuzinger High and UCLA, and where he’s still holding out hope of a storybook finish in these next few months.
After cementing himself as a superstar in OKC, he quickly became a fan favorite in the NBA community, winning over the hearts of countless people as the leader of the Thunder.
But since his departure, things haven’t gone smoothly. In Houston, D.C., and now L.A., his flaws have been exposed to a whole new degree and his value has never been at such a low point.
It’s really a wonder how he’ll pull himself out of this one.
