Russell Westbrook has had to deal with a bunch of disrespect in his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, and it escalated to the point of his family being threatened during the season, something that is not okay. And the situation wasn’t very conducive to Westbrook being properly integrated with the team. It became quite evident that there were some issues between him and former coach Frank Vogel.
But while it wasn’t all down to Russ, he has a share of the blame for the way things played out for the Lakers this season. Westbrook’s statistics dropped across the board last season. He was unable to perform at the levels he had in his career prior. His efficiency was also poor and in key moments down the clutch, his shot refused to fall.
Westbrook’s season on the court is best exemplified by a video from shootaround earlier in the season that went viral on the internet. He tried to do a dunk by tossing the ball off the backboard, but missed the entire backboard instead. Fans had some choice reactions in the comments, with some commiserating with his struggles and others laughing at how it turned out:
“Russ need to get back smaller like the OKC days he strong as hell now.”
“If I was a Lakers fan, I would be so stressed about this dude.”
“This is more mental than it is physical.”
“He been overrated for a hot minute now.”
“Can’t wait for more of this next season.”
“The Lakers really need to get rid, I’m sorry to say.”
“Sums up his entire season.”
“Bro couldn’t catch a break last season.”
“On the bright side for Lakers fans, even if he stays, I can’t imagine him being worse than this.”
“Y’all gotta keep Russ man, I’m not ready for the banter to end.”
“I miss this man’s prime, I really hope he shut y’all haters up next season.”
Westbrook will have a long road ahead of him if he wants his image to recover after last season. As Magic Johnson pointed out, a lot will also depend on who the next Head Coach of the franchise is. It’s crucial for the Lakers that they make the decision quickly, as the longer the uncertainty drags on, the less motivated Westbrook might himself feel.
