Home

NBA

“Oh God It’s Happening!”: Massive Altercation Between Russell Westbrook and Lakers Coach Amid LeBron James’ Feat Confirms Doomsday for NBA World

Published 02/08/2023, 1:27 PM EST

Follow Us

The Los Angeles Lakers are one team who are expected to make a move during the trade deadline. Notably, fans have been behind offloading $47 million Russell Westbrook and bringing in another star at guard. However, up until now, coach Darwin Ham has backed up the former MVP of the league. But that might not be the case after their boiling exchange in the locker room at halftime.

On a night LeBron James achieved history, the Los Angeles Lakers fell apart. Going up against the 13-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, this was the golden chance to get back to winning ways. However, OKC came into the crypto.com arena to shock the hosts. On a night of celebrations, they beat the Lakers, 130-133 to further dig a hole into their season. What’s worse is the tensions in the locker room rose as well.

USA Today via Reuters

According to reports, Darwin Ham and Westbrook bickered in the locker room after the coach was displeased with his antics after getting subbed off.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Is Russell Westbrook’s time with LeBron James and the Lakers over?

Close to the end of the second quarter, Brodie was subbed off by Ham. However, instead o taking his seat, the nine-time All-Star remained on the playing floor. Notably, he was in no rush to come off with just a minute left in the second quarter. While nothing was said at the moment, the fireworks exploded in the locker room. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the pair had a heated exchange regarding Westbrook’s behavior.

Likewise, NBA Twitter feels this feud could be the final straw for a Westbrook trade.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

However, after the game, the two seemed to have made up. Notably, reports also suggest the two embraced after the loss. In addition. Russell Westbrook arguably played his heart out in the three-point loss to his former franchise. The 2017 MVP finished the night with 27 points and 8 assists leading the team behind LeBron James. He also scored a season-high 14 fourth-quarter points nearly bringing the Lakers back into the game.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

While trade rumors continue to fly around, it seems unlikely the Purple and Gold will make a move. After Kyrie Irving went off the market, the organization might not be willing to move their first-round picks for anyone else. Likewise, Russell Westbrook may finish this season as a Laker.

Having emerged as a Sixth Man, do you think Westbrook is still the problem for the 2020 champions? Let us know your views in the comments below.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar

2,362Articles

One take at a time

Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a student studying at NM College in Mumbai, aspiring to pursue sports management to follow his love for sports. Anuj started following the NBA last year, and he loves to combine his passion for writing with his understanding of basketball.
Show More>