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Fans Enraged at Russell Westbrook as LeBron James’ Lakers Choke on His Special Night: “Stop Waiting for Miracles to Come”

Published 01/16/2023, 6:10 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Tonight, the NBA world witnessed history thanks to LeBron James. ‘King James’ or ‘The GOAT’ for some, inched closer to a historic record with his 38,000 career points. The Los Angeles Lakers (19-24) played against the Philadelphia 76ers (27-16) at the Crypto.com Arena. LeBron defied father time with him finishing the game with 35 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists, but his special night came to a disappointing end. The NBA world directed their frustration onto Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook scored 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. Unfortunately, he couldn’t rise to the occasion in the last few seconds of the game. One NBA fan wrote, “Trade the picks and Westbrook NOW! Stop waiting for miracles to come your way they’re wasting LeBron away!

Why are NBA fans slamming Westbrook?

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With 14 seconds left on the clock, Russell Westbrook had control of the ball. The Lakers were at 112 while the 76ers were at 113. He may have been looking to force the game into overtime. But unfortunately, his attempts did not take off.

NBA Twitter ridiculed the player and brought back his old label of ‘Westbrick’. Some demanded his trade, others questioned head coach Darvin Ham’s decisions, and many others debated the efficiency of Westbrook’s skills during clutch time.

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Here are some of the reactions from NBA Twitter:

In under 10 seconds, as he dribbled the ball, it seemed to slip off, but he managed to gain control of the ball back again. Russell Westbrook charged with the ball in his hand and attempted to drive it through the basket. However, it just kissed the rim and bounced back. Westbrook then fell down due to his momentum.

Notably, LeBron James was seen walking away even before the whistle blew.

LeBron James made history… again

He became the second player in the league’s history to score 38,000 career points. The only other player to do so is fellow Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, whose all-time leading scoring record has stood intact for decades.

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USA Today via Reuters

According to CBS! Sports, LeBron is “now less than 400 points away from passing Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer“. He spoke to the media, and said that it was “super humbling” to be on the verge of “breaking probably the most sought-after record in the NBA”.

Watch This Story: How Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Other NBA stars Used Hecklers to Motivate Themselves

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Unfortunately for LeBron James, his team is yet to catch up with his greatness. It can be argued that the Lakers’ roster needs to be more efficient. Both the media and NBA fans desperately clamor for a team that can maximize LeBron James’ final few healthy years.

What did you think of Russell Westbrook’s failed attempt at the end of the game? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Rekha Joly

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Rekha Joly is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. She earned a triple major in English, Journalism, and Psychology from St. Joseph's College, Bangalore.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani