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“You’re Doing What Is Expected”: NBA Fans Go Berserk as Lakers Star Russell Westbrook Appears to Demand Respect After Win vs Heat

Published 01/05/2023, 5:30 AM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

On Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat in overtime by a close margin of 3 points. This thriller of a victory was led by Lakers star Dennis Schroder who bagged a season-high of 32 points. The other key contributor was Russell Westbrook who put up 21 points with 9 assists and 8 rebounds. On the other hand, the Miami Heat put up a fight with the help of Bam Adebayo’s 30 and Jimmy Butler‘s 27 points. As fans bathe in the glory of this victory, Westbrook had a demand in place.

Russell Westbrook had a sluggish start to the season. During that period, fans attacked him with all guns blazing and demanded he leaves the team. However, with time, the narrative has changed as Westbrook has been actively contributing to the team. The nine-time All-Star had the highest average of assists (7.6) made per game on the team with 14.7 points. As he tries to live up to the name he has created for himself, he expects respect in return. He made this clear by wearing a cap that said “Give me my flowers” to the press conference after today’s win.

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NBA fans left divided after Russell Westbrook makes a demand

NBA Fans were left divided by the nine-time All-Star’s latest stunt. Taking to Twitter to express their opinions. Some fans, who were unhappy with Westbrook’s demand, stated that he was doing his job and nothing special. They added that he is being paid the big bucks to do his job. However, many supported the Lakers’ star while stating that he was now their hero. They also demanded that others respect him while declaring him to be the greatest of all time. Here are some of the reactions:

 

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The post-game interviews

The Los Angeles Lakers managed to bag their third straight win. However, they achieved the feat without LeBron James and Anthony Davis. With this in mind, Westbrook revealed that the message sent across the team was to simply compete.

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Following this, Coach Darvin Ham spoke highly about Dennis Schroder who led the team from the front. He called Schroder to be a phenomenal player. Following this, he highlighted the fact that Schroder was playing with a sprained ankle.

Darvin stated that he never saw the Lakers’ star limp and commended his competitive spirit. He said, “I said I’m taking you out. But he said, no leave me in the game. I’ll be alright coach. I’m good”.

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Watch This Story: Russell Westbrook vs Stephen Curry: What do the Numbers Say on Who’s the Better Point Guard?

As the Lakers focus on building this winning streak, what do you think of Westbrook’s demands? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Shriya Rajachandra

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Shriya Rajachandra is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. She earned a bachelor's degree in Journalism, Psychology, and Communicative English. Shriya previously interned at The New Indian Express, but her favorite journalist, Marcus Thompson motivated her to start writing about basketball.
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Edited by:

Jayant Chhabra