While the Warriors celebrated their NBA title, it was not a good season for many teams. There were some huge letdowns. This season the team, with absolute disappointment, was the Los Angeles Lakers. And the player who fell off the hardest was probably Russell Westbrook.
There’s no denying that Westbrook is one of the greats of the game. He has been a tremendous talent in the NBA and has shown his mantle more often than not. But this season might have just been one of the worst of his career. So it was natural that he would face criticism for it. In fact, Westbrook ended up as a ‘scapegoat’ for the team’s bad results.
Unfortunately for him, the name ‘Westbrick’ stuck and became a way to ridicule his performances. It was time that the veteran of such stature answered back. Throughout the season, he asked for respect to his name. However, most recently he said the same thing in a harsh way to the harshest LeBron James critic.
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Yoooo… watch your mouth. Don’t say anything here you wouldn’t say to my face. https://t.co/0u8nFXYLY8
— Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) June 25, 2022
Now it was also natural for Skip Bayless to reply to Russell Westbrook. And the reply was every bit fiesty.
Hey, Russell Westbrook (@russwest44) … happy to talk face-to-face about the nickname I believe I originated in 2012. JOIN ME ON TV/PODCAST. Let's talk about how you'll make $47 mil next yr after being THE WORST 3-PT SHOOTER IN THE NBA! Most overpaid player ever? PLEASE JOIN ME
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) June 27, 2022
Clearly, Skip wants ‘all the smoke’. Not sure if Russ would reply further, but it sure seems to be a ‘beef’ already.
Fans went berserk as Skip challenged Westbrook to have a face-to-face interaction.
Russell Westbrook vs Skip Bayless dispute on Undisputed?
Skip has challenged Russ to join him on TV/podcast and the fans on Twitter are entertained to say the least.
nah just imagine a skip and russ argument on undisputed 😭😭😭
generational TV 💀💀
— Perc Bayless (@percbayless) June 27, 2022
Skip says the tweet out loud. pic.twitter.com/BKVMhy1V6T
— Josh Rosen (@Joshimpressions) June 27, 2022
The one thing I respect about skip is that he doesn’t fold and isn’t scared of nobody even if he says the dumbest shii🙏🏾
— shark💧 (@sharmake_b) June 27, 2022
Skip was this you guarding Mj? pic.twitter.com/XUNRhz7Aca
— Objective (@AllAboutRings7) June 27, 2022
both y’all wouldn’t be talkin like dis in my hood we don’t play on my hood. Personally @russwest44 im not taking this
— ً (@TrolledByJimmy) June 27, 2022
@russwest44 you gone let him talk to you like that ??? I’m not taking that type of disrespect pic.twitter.com/wpmgBXXZvd
— jaydenreedforHe1smon (@MasonMcFarlane0) June 27, 2022
Russ when he see you: pic.twitter.com/KOrhI8UHtJ
— Alex 🇵🇭⚾(44-26) (@Fire__Monkey23) June 27, 2022
What’s wrong wit you dawg
— BASED SAVAGE (@crackcobain__) June 27, 2022
Me personally I wouldn’t let anyone talk to me this way but that’s just me @russwest44
— ❻ LeBillionaire 💰 (@RatioedByLebron) June 27, 2022
I see u… pic.twitter.com/U8Wr8sFOIC
— Omar_bori (@HazmecafePR) June 27, 2022
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Russell Westbrook didn’t mind criticism most of the season. Honestly, a lot of times this season, he actually deserved it as well. The kind of player Russ has been over the years, he well and truly knows how bad this season was for him. So he expected the fans’ disappointment.
But what he can’t and by all means shouldn’t allow the disrespect on his name. There were times when he probably received too much blame for the Lakers’ woes last season. He was well below his standard. And he knew it as well.
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WATCH THIS STORY: 5 games which prove Russ West criticism is not fair.
Having said that, the situation got so worse that he revealed he and his family even got death threats. Now all jokes and name-calling aside, this was something deeply concerning. It should never come to this no matter how bad a player plays. Talking about Westbrook, he has done enough to ask for respect even if he had a poor season.