Russell Westbrook has found some success since getting traded from the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this season.
Westbrook has become a crucial player for the Los Angeles Clippers. He proved that during the Clippers’ Game 1 win vs. the Phoenix Suns in the opening round of the playoffs. Upon seeing that, NBA analyst Charles Barkley called out Lakers fans for putting on the blame on Westbrook for the team’s struggles over the last two years or so.
“You know how much I love Russ. Only thing I can ask out of anybody in life is give me great effort, and I love that dude. But, I love the shot he took at the Lakers. He said, ‘You know…it’s great to just be somewhere where they don’t worry about my shot all the time!’ Because he does other stuff. You know, they start calling him Westbrick, and with the Lakers, they blame everything on him. The Lakers had a crap team before they made all these trades. But, for some reason, they blamed him.”
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Since joining the Clippers, Westbrook has been nothing but happy. He has become an easy fit for the team in a matter of few games.
Moreover, even when Brodie has an off-night, he doesn’t get brutally roasted by fans as opposed to his time with the Lakers.
A recent example of it was Westbrook’s Game 1 performance vs. the Suns. Westbrook went 3-19 from the field but had a monster game on the defensive end of the floor.
Russell Westbrook Took A Shot At Lakers After Getting Traded
Considering the fact that joining the Clippers turned out to be an incredible decision for Russell Westbrook, he hasn’t shied away from taking a few subtle shots at the Purple and Gold.
Even during his introductory press conference, Westbrook shared his joy of joining a team where he feels wanted rather than getting berated for his mistakes. In a subtle way, Brodie also meant it as a clap back at his former team and its fanbase.
“That’s a huge part, man, for anybody, for any normal human being in any situation in the workplace. A lot of teammates and people who want you here, that’s very important to me. I value that a lot. I have been in this league a long time, and being somewhere where people want you in there, appreciate you, that means a lot to me.”
Donning the jersey of the Los Angeles Lakers comes with a lot of expectations from fans. If a player fails to live up to those expectations, the Lakers fanbase has a tendency to get extremely toxic.
Some players can handle that pressure, while others simply crumble under it. Westbrook fell into the latter category. As of now, it’s great to see him having fun while playing basketball in L.A., albeit in the blue jersey of the Clippers.
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