Russell Westbrook always plays the game at 100 miles per hour. He’s not the type who needs extra motivation to show up ready, but it surely does help him to have another fuel source.
On Monday, the former NBA Most Valuable Player found his groove against the Los Angeles Lakers, as he helped the Sacramento Kings stun Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers in a 124-112 win at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif.
Apparently, the 37-year-old Westbrook finds happiness in torching his past NBA employers.
“I play the same way every night, but I do enjoy beating teams that I was formerly at, for different reasons,” Westbrook told reporters in the postgame press conference.
The two-time NBA scoring champ had a short but drama-filled stint with the Lakers. Many viewed Westbrook as a liability for Los Angeles, which explored ways to trade him in 2022. His marriage with the Lakers ended when he was sent by Los Angeles to the Utah Jazz just before the NBA trade deadline in 2023.
In the win over the Lakers, Westbrook posted 22 points on an efficient 8-for-16 shooting from the floor, while adding 7 assists and 5 rebounds in 37 minutes of action.
Westbrook isn’t going to face the Lakers every night, but his statement just made Sacramento’s next date with Los Angeles on March 1 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
