It did not take long for Russell Westbrook to have his first tense exchange with the Los Angeles media.
The Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Westbrook’s former team, at home on Thursday. Westbrook had two crucial gaffes at the end of the game, losing the ball out of bounds with the Lakers down two and then bricking a potential game-tying three on the last possession.
After the game, a reporter asked the former NBA MVP what happened on those final sequences.
“You saw it,” Westbrook replied back. “Don’t ask me questions you know the answer to. You seen it. Just watch the game and you’ll see what happened. I lost the ball. I missed a three. There’s nothing to it.”
He then walked off the podium. Here is the video.
Russell Westbrook to a reporter asking about the final possessions: "You saw it. Don't ask me questions you know the answer to. You seen it. I lost the ball. I missed a three. There's nothing to it." pic.twitter.com/7aeYFlwxFH
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) November 5, 2021
The Lakers are now 5-4 in Westbrook’s first season with them, and he is averaging 20.2 points per game, his lowest scoring output in over a decade. The veteran guard is also notoriously chaotic in late-game situations. While he is never afraid to take the last shot, Westbrook’s relentless style of play can easily backfire in key moments, as we saw on Thursday.
Westbrook will never be best friends with the media either, as he has proven many times in the past. Reporters covering the Lakers are now getting a direct taste of that.
Photo: Oct 6, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook prior to the preseason game against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
