When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Russell Westbrook, there were certain expectations he needed to live up to as part of the Lakers’ ‘Big Three’. However, a series of bad games at the beginning of the 2022-23 season once again landed him on the receiving end of a huge backlash. Fellow NBA player Ben Simmons didn’t have a great year either. After his massive Game 7 blunder, the basketball star quickly became the subject of harsh criticism and continues to be so. Reflecting on their rough phases, a former NBA star recently spoke in their defense with a potent LeBron James example.

Russell Westbrook is no stranger to facing negative remarks. The 34-year-old NBA star is considered one of the most criticized athletes in the league. However, the criticism significantly increased when he displayed average performances at the start of the ’23 season. On the other hand, Ben Simmons gained a lot of haters when he passed up a dunk during the 2021 Finals. Three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas put everything in perspective with the darkest moment of Lebron James’ career.

NBA veteran deciphers LeBron James’ Miami Heat loss

In the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, Gilbert Arenas opened up about mental health and how it affected an athlete’s performance. He talked about Nick Anderson’s struggle while playing with the Orlando Magic and shared how he sought help from an expert to take better care of his mental health so he didn’t have to go through what Anderson did.

The episode’s guest and Trash Talk Show host Jerry Morgan then asked, “I’m glad you brought that. You say ‘mental’, so when LeBron lost to the Mavs, he said, you know, he was going through something mentally. Then, like, he was playing like we ain’t never seen him play before.”

Arenas replied, “When you’re talking about elite, it’s usually more mental than it is physical. If you think you the best, you walk like the best, and you think like, you’re gonna carry yourself. You know you can’t be a negative mind and then have positive results.”

During the 2011 Finals, LeBron James was playing for the Miami Heat after taking his infamous decision of leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers. They were just one more game away from claiming the championship title and a lot was riding on King James after he was brutally criticized for leaving the Cavs. However, fans were left stunned when the Dallas Mavericks swooped past the ‘Big Three’ of the Heat and won their first-ever ring.

The criticism of LeBron not being able to win a ring reached its peak at the time. The King was castigated in NBA circles for failing to lead a superteam to an obvious NBA championship.

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Gilbert Arenas speaks about Russ and Simmons

As the trio continued their conversation, Arenas brought up Russell Westbrook’s situation to drive his point home. He pointed out the differences in Russ’ performance before and after he joined the Lakers. Arenas stated, “When nobody’s there, you got your game. When them lights come on, all the memories, all the boos, ‘Right as soon as I touch the ball, they’re gonna boo me’. I’ve seen men break down.”

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He also explained the reason Ben Simmons didn’t take the shot against the Hawks. He believed that it was because he was worried about all the backlash he would have to face if he missed it.

Do you agree with Arenas’ point? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!