The desired glory of clinching the NBA title makes the superstars of the game team up with each other. At times, that works out, mostly it does not. One such unsuccessful collaboration happened at the Los Angeles Lakers when Russell Westbrook joined LeBron James in 2021.
The move turned out to be disastrous for all the parties involved, resulting in the eventual departure of Russell from the side. Skip Bayless recently shared his thoughts on that matter, reflecting on that turmoil period.
Did Westbrook irritate LeBron James?
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In the latest episode of UNDISPUTED,?he candidly opened up about Westbrook’s failure in LA. According to the NBA personality, Russell was “simply the worst high-volume three-point shooter”.?He indicated it as one of the key reasons behind the Lakers trading the former MVP out of their team.
The 71-year-old then shed light on the reported souring of the relationship between Westbrook and LeBron. Skip highlighted the point guard’s inability to fit in and score as the reason behind James’ potential annoyance. “That’s why LeBron said, ‘Get him out of my sight’,”?the sports columnist stated to elaborate on his standpoint.
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“He was a disaster,”?Bayless mentioned, reiterating his point of view. His words may hold a certain value considering how it ended between two icons last time around. It’s all in the past now, as the present portrays a different picture.
All’s well that ends well
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Westbrook made his move to the other side of LA to join the home rival Los Angeles Clippers. Since then, he has averaged his career-high field goal percentage and three-point percentage. He also has recorded his highest-ever blocks per game for the Clippers. From helping the team secure a playoff spot to finding his own feet, Russell made the right choice by leaving.
James assembled a roster that suited his style. After missing out on the playoffs in 2022, he took his team into the Western Conference semi-finals in 2023. It’s fair to say they both seem to have found peace without each other’s presence.
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No one quite knows what exactly happened behind the scenes at the Lakers. No one quite knows why the team failed to perform with the 34-year-old. As both of them prepare for another season to compete against each other, the fans are bound to look beyond that forgettable phase of the superstars’ careers.