Tempers flared at the end of the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves last week, as Rudy Gobert got into an altercation with Christian Braun. Russell Westbrook confronted Gobert after the incident and we now know what the former MVP had to say to the big man.
Russell Westbrook: “Don’t do that s***.”
Rudy Gobert: “What are you gonna do?”
Westbrook: “Don’t do that, n****.”
Aaron Gordon: “You got dunked on!”
Westbrook: “That’s bull****. Punched on his b*tch a**!”
LEAKED Audio Of Russell Westbrook Trying To Fight To Rudy Gobertđź‘€:
Russ: “Don’t do that sh*t”
Gobert: “What are you gonna do?”
Russ: “Don’t do that, n****”
Gordon: “You got dunked on!”
Then, Russ hypes up Braun and says: “Punched on his b*tch a**!” pic.twitter.com/OPJ534Apsz
— LegendZ (@legendz_prod) November 3, 2024
Westbrook always has his teammates’ back, so I am the least bit surprised by his actions here. He was never going to just sit back and let Gobert get away with hitting Braun.
Gobert also appeared to get scared when he saw Westbrook rush over. While he taunted the former MVP by asking what he was going to do during that exchange, he clearly was a bit worried about what might happen. Fortunately, Mike Conley Jr. and an official got in the way to ensure things didn’t get physical.
While Westbrook never tends to show much love to his opponents, it does appear he, like many others, has some problem with Gobert. When he was with the Clippers last season, Westbrook was seen mocking Gobert as he missed some free throws. The Frenchman got the last laugh that day by making four clutch free throws and that was the case here as well.
Gobert hit two free throws with 10 seconds remaining in this game to give the Timberwolves a 119-116 lead. He then played some great defense on Nikola Jokic, forcing him to attempt an off-balance three-pointer, which wasn’t even close to going in.
That was Gobert at his best and he finished the night with 17 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocks. The Timberwolves certainly want to see more of that going forward from the 32-year-old.
Russell Westbrook’s Tenure With The Nuggets
Westbrook’s time with the Nuggets has been a bit of a mixed bag thus far. He recorded five points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block against the Timberwolves but struggled with his shot yet again.
Westbrook went 1-8 from the field and also had four turnovers. His shooting and inability to take care of the ball have been big issues so far. Following this performance, the 35-year-old went 2-11 against the Utah Jazz on Saturday and is now shooting just 23.2% from the field this season.
While Westbrook, who is averaging 8.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game in 2024-25, has done well on defense and on the glass, the Nuggets cannot afford to have him out on the court for too long if his efficiency doesn’t improve. It’s not a recipe for success, especially in the playoffs.
An anonymous NBA scout declared that the Nuggets need to cut Westbrook and that he should retire, with how he has started the season. That was a bit much, but a growing number are starting to share that belief. I think Westbrook is still good enough to play in the NBA, but I am not sure he can be a key piece for a title-winning team at this stage of his career.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.