Russell Westbrook’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers has been a disaster in every sense of the word. Russ has always had his critics, who termed him as a stat-padder, but there was never a point in his career where he was somewhat of a laughing stock, as was the case at times last season.
It was just a terrible idea to pair him with LeBron James and as he struggled to fit in, the criticism just seemed to come in from all corners. The spotlight was firmly on Russ, as not only was he playing with the greatest player of this generation but he was also on the most storied franchise in the NBA and it really created a lot of toxicity.
Charles Barkley Slams The Los Angeles Lakers For Destroying Russell Westbrook
Charles Barkley has been one of the few people in the media who have defended Westbrook, as he previously said that he felt Russ and former head coach Frank Vogel were getting scapegoated. Barkley was at it again recently on opening night on Inside the NBA on TNT, as he slammed the Lakers for destroying Westbrook during halftime of their game against the Warriors.
“You know how I feel about Russell Westbrook. I admire him, I respect him. It’s time for the Lakers to move him. They’ve taken all his joy out of life and basketball. It’s not about the numbers. First of all, the Lakers stink, we can get that out of the way. Those 2 guys are just out there having fun, AD and LeBron, they’re just getting numbers. You never thought they were going to win this game.”
“This guy used to be so exuberant, playing with great energy and great emotion. I think the wear and tear mentally last year, starting this year, playing with Patrick Beverley. The thing is, he’s going to get the blame no matter what because the Lakers ain’t a championship contender.”
Barkley again brought up here later on that the Lakers scapegoated Vogel and Russ. He wants them to put Westbrook out of his misery by trading him away so he can get back to having fun on the court.
As for how the rest of this game went, the Lakers were just another victim of the patented third-quarter Warriors explosion, as a 9-point halftime lead went up to as high as 27 at one point in the game. The Lakers tried to make a comeback in the fourth quarter but the Warriors easily held on to win 123-109. Westbrook, who had been benched for their last preseason game, was back in the starting lineup for this one and he had a decent outing too, but it does seem like his stint with the Lakers will end at some point this season.
