The hate on Russell Westbrook continues to grow in Los Angeles. In the last two games for the Lakers, Russ experienced booing from the Lakers crowd. Although he revealed that the booing was a sign of respect, it is quite evident that his performances haven’t been taken up well by the Laker fanbase.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
To make matters worse, an anonymous NBA insider sent a message out to Westbrook indicating that fans of the Wizards, Rockets, and Lakers dislike the point guard. Additionally, he mentioned that had Russ stayed in OKC, he’d be a solid scorer and not encounter a dip in form. These comments from the NBA insider created a meltdown on Twitter.
Anonymous league insider blasts Russell Westbrook for leaving OKC “Is Russell Westbrook happy now? He could be scoring 25 a game in Oklahoma City but instead Houston hates him, Washington half hates him, and L.A. definitely hates him.” (Via truehoop.com)
WATCH THIS STORY: Who Is Ja Morant’s Girlfriend?
Twitter Reacts to NBA Insider Blasting Russell Westbrook
While the NBA Insider’s message divided Twitter into two groups – one in support of Westbrook, and the other against him, few people just had fun with the situation. They made comments on his salary, indicating that he remains happy regardless of what fans think.
And he still making 44 mill while this guy typing lol I think Russ is happy
Anonymous league insider blasts Russell Westbrook for leaving OKC “Is Russell Westbrook happy now? He could be scoring 25 a game in Oklahoma City but instead Houston hates him, Washington half hates him, and L.A. definitely hates him.” (Via truehoop.com)
😔😔 he probably sleeping good
Anonymous league insider blasts Russell Westbrook for leaving OKC “Is Russell Westbrook happy now? He could be scoring 25 a game in Oklahoma City but instead Houston hates him, Washington half hates him, and L.A. definitely hates him.” (Via truehoop.com)
Many fans expressed views of disapproval of Westbrook. They believe that Russ is an over-hyped player who just collects stats and brings no value to any team that he plays for.
Empty stats, loser player. Should have never had won the MVP over Harden
Anonymous league insider blasts Russell Westbrook for leaving OKC “Is Russell Westbrook happy now? He could be scoring 25 a game in Oklahoma City but instead Houston hates him, Washington half hates him, and L.A. definitely hates him.” (Via truehoop.com)
On the flip side, many people disagreed with the insider’s views on the hate for Russ. Fans from Washington exclaimed that Westbrook was the one who carried them to the playoffs a season ago. Many more Thunder fans explained that the comments made by the insider were wrong because the Thunder organization decided to trade Westbrook. Additionally, there were even Houston fans who came forward in support of the point guard.
He literally got traded from OKC….he didn’t leave on his own
In Conclusion
Clearly, Russ still has a lot of love from fans despite his struggles this season. He may not be playing at the same level as he did for OKC, but there is still a will in him to succeed. The Lakers can use this to their benefit and regroup to make things work.
Despite the poor scoring and shooting on his part, Russ has still been effective for the Lakers through his passing. At present, Russ averages 7.6 assists per game, putting him in the Top 10 assist makers this season among all players. His effect on the Lakers’ offense is so significant that he contributes to 32.2% of all the points scored by the team so far.
Imago
Russell Westbrook Points Scored and Points generated through Assists compared to Rest of the Team (Stats valid as of 10th Feb 2022)
However, his defense seems to be a problem for the Lakers. At present, he has the league’s highest number of turnovers at 224. This is nearly 27% of all the turnovers made by the Lakers this season. So it’s clear that he has to work on his defense. This isn’t an impossible task since Westbrook is very capable of turning things around as he did for the Wizards one season ago. Only time will tell the tale of Westbrook’s future in LA.