When Russell Westbrook walked into Chesapeake Energy Arena on May 6, 2025, fans rose for a standing O—then booed minutes later. When the lights first dimmed at Paycom Center, Westbrook received the welcome any legend craves. But by the time he dared the raucous crowd to boo him back, the arena had flipped from celebration to jeers. And that’s when a former All-Star couldn’t help but accuse Westbrook of deliberately trying to get himself thrown out.

Russell Westbrook might be deep into his career, but Oklahoma City’s always had a soft spot for their former MVP. In Game 1 against the Nuggets, he got a loud standing ovation the second he stepped onto the court. Fans made it clear, no matter where he plays, OKC still loves him for what Westbrook gave the city. But after losing game 1, by Game 2, the mood had flipped.

Westbrook, who finished with 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting in Game 2 was met with a ripple of boos that cut through the arena. At one point, he appeared to egg the crowd on. He pointed at the rafters and taunted his hometown faithful after missed free throws.

On the May 7 episode of the Run It Back podcast, Parsons praised OKC’s youth before launching his bombshell. “Again, now game three, I have way more faith in the OKC than I do in the Boston Celtics because I just witnessed unbelievable response from such a young team. So this is impressive offensively.”  Parsons said.

Parsons was just praising the Thunder’s resilience after bouncing back, but then he dropped a bombshell no one saw coming. “I think Westbrook was trying to get kicked out at one point. Jokic was trying to foul. This game was over.”  It’s a pretty wild thought, but honestly, it kind of makes sense when you think about how things went down. But do you know that Russell Westbrook is involved in an altercation on the court?

The costly mistake that got Russell Westbrook tossed from the playoffs

April 2024 gave us one of those classic playoff meltdowns you just knew were brewing. The Dallas Mavericks led the Los Angeles Clippers 101–90 when tempers finally boiled over with 6:10 remaining in the fourth quarter. Trailing by 16 points, Russell Westbrook, ice-cold at 0-for-7 shooting, reached around Luka Dončić on a drive, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him off balance.

Naturally, Luka wasn’t about to let that slide. He spun around, got in Westbrook’s face, and words were exchanged. But Russ didn’t stop there. He shoved Doncic square in the chest, which immediately caught P.J. Washington’s attention. Washington stepped in, traded shoves, and before long, benches cleared, refs scrambled, and security rushed in. On the same possession, Westbrook had already been whistled for a Flagrant 1 foul on Josh Green in the second quarter—his first flagrant since joining the Clippers—giving him two technicals on the night, which automatically ejected him under NBA rules.

The officials tossed both Westbrook and Washington from the game. Honestly, it felt like a long time coming the way that game was going. It marked Westbrook’s first career playoff ejection, a bitter milestone in a game where he managed just one point, three rebounds, one assist, and two blocks in 19 minutes. Leaving without a word, he departed Chesapeake Energy Arena as Djokovic and Irving combined for 43 points in Dallas’s victory, one that gave the Mavericks a 2–1 series lead.