USA Today via Reuters
Jan 17, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) was given a technical foul for his reaction after a dunk over Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first half of the game at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 17, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook (0) was given a technical foul for his reaction after a dunk over Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first half of the game at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The hate on Russell Westbrook continues to grow in Los Angeles. In the last two games for the Lakers, Russ experienced booing from the Lakers crowd. Although he revealed that the booing was a sign of respect, it is quite evident that his performances haven’t been taken up well by the Laker fanbase.
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To make matters worse, an anonymous NBA insider sent a message out to Westbrook indicating that fans of the Wizards, Rockets, and Lakers dislike the point guard. Additionally, he mentioned that had Russ stayed in OKC, he’d be a solid scorer and not encounter a dip in form. These comments from the NBA insider created a meltdown on Twitter.
Anonymous league insider blasts Russell Westbrook for leaving OKC
“Is Russell Westbrook happy now? He could be scoring 25 a game in Oklahoma City but instead Houston hates him, Washington half hates him, and L.A. definitely hates him.”
(Via https://t.co/nZ8io6YNsI) pic.twitter.com/JYMKqYSei7
— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) February 9, 2022
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Twitter Reacts to NBA Insider Blasting Russell Westbrook
While the NBA Insider’s message divided Twitter into two groups – one in support of Westbrook, and the other against him, few people just had fun with the situation. They made comments on his salary, indicating that he remains happy regardless of what fans think.
And he still making 44 mill while this guy typing lol I think Russ is happy https://t.co/xbsLFH10Ab
— CLUTCH RIPZ (@ClutchRipz) February 10, 2022
😔😔 he probably sleeping good https://t.co/RKEhttpTMd
— Papi HATHAWAY 🇯🇲 (@HeadcACE1906) February 10, 2022
Many fans expressed views of disapproval of Westbrook. They believe that Russ is an over-hyped player who just collects stats and brings no value to any team that he plays for.
BIG FACTS MAN!!! https://t.co/RGvEGaghuX
— Reggie Wright 💰 (@UncleWestside) February 10, 2022
Deserves it all #LoveIt 😂😂😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/yYegQEqXCa
— Hari Patel (@haripatel35) February 10, 2022
Empty stats, loser player. Should have never had won the MVP over Harden https://t.co/Crq0GogDNS
— ☘️ (@TheMTOD) February 10, 2022
He was never actually good unfortunately. He was a stat padder and put up some of the highest volume of meaningless stats that we will ever see. He has taken a step back athletically, and that was all the value he had to begin with.
— Evan Osborne (30-23) (@evyosborne) February 9, 2022
On the flip side, many people disagreed with the insider’s views on the hate for Russ. Fans from Washington exclaimed that Westbrook was the one who carried them to the playoffs a season ago. Many more Thunder fans explained that the comments made by the insider were wrong because the Thunder organization decided to trade Westbrook. Additionally, there were even Houston fans who came forward in support of the point guard.
No one in DC hates him guy brought them to the playoffs first time in like 5 years
No one hates him in Houston. CP3 and Harden fell out it’s not his fault. They hate management/executives.
Only Laker fans hate him because ESPN FS1 and others use him as a scapegoat.
— PWW (@PartyWithWolves) February 10, 2022
I really don't get why Washington would hate him. Plus he just tried to make the best decisions for his career. Okc was looking at a rebuild and Houston was pretty much ruined by the time he got there https://t.co/BQZuAytsKn
— Certified Spirit Detective (@sbnumbah1) February 10, 2022
Why the fuck would Houston hate him? He balled out in the second half of that season. And they got bounced by the eventual champions (Lakers).
— Nik Watson (@talk_flyers) February 10, 2022
He literally got traded from OKC….he didn’t leave on his own
— 𝕐𝕦𝕤𝕦𝕜𝕖: SABA SZN (@YusukeSzn) February 9, 2022
In Conclusion
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Clearly, Russ still has a lot of love from fans despite his struggles this season. He may not be playing at the same level as he did for OKC, but there is still a will in him to succeed. The Lakers can use this to their benefit and regroup to make things work.
Despite the poor scoring and shooting on his part, Russ has still been effective for the Lakers through his passing. At present, Russ averages 7.6 assists per game, putting him in the Top 10 assist makers this season among all players. His effect on the Lakers’ offense is so significant that he contributes to 32.2% of all the points scored by the team so far.
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via Imago
Russell Westbrook Points Scored and Points generated through Assists compared to Rest of the Team (Stats valid as of 10th Feb 2022)
However, his defense seems to be a problem for the Lakers. At present, he has the league’s highest number of turnovers at 224. This is nearly 27% of all the turnovers made by the Lakers this season. So it’s clear that he has to work on his defense. This isn’t an impossible task since Westbrook is very capable of turning things around as he did for the Wizards one season ago. Only time will tell the tale of Westbrook’s future in LA.
