Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are not having a season they’d be proud of. With fans calling for trades and lacklustre performances, the Lakers have been under strict scrutiny this season.

Surprisingly enough, one of the biggest critics offered a rare compliment that shocked fans. How often does a player get applauded for their performance when their team is a hair’s breadth away from sinking to the bottom of the conference?

Russell Westbrook is ‘Magnificent’

Fans could not believe their eyes when analyst and NFL hall of fame Shannon Sharpe applauded Westbrook’s performance.

Replying to a post detailing Westbrook’s statistics on the court that night, he tweeted, “Russ has been MAGNIFICENT since coming off the bench.”

Given Sharpe’s recent statements about Westbrook, this tweet stunned fans.

After coming off the bench, Westbrook showed some signs of his former self. The Lakers, who are currently at 2-6, had a short-lived winning streak when they defeated the Denver Nuggets and the New Orleans Pelicans back to back.

Unfortunately, that came to an end when they were defeated by the Jazz, 116-130. Despite Anthony Davis and Westbrook putting on a good show, the lakers couldn’t keep up.

Westbrook seems to have improved over the last two games. Lakers fans showed him some love during the game. For a crowd who boo-ed him and called for a trade, to echo MVP chants is a sign of progress.

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Westbrook is having a rollercoaster of a season. The 2017 MVP may just go on to prove that he is capable of far more.

Fans on Twitter reacted to Sharpe’s statements

Fans were blown away by Shape’s praise of Westbrook, especially because of his previous statements.

This fan expressed his shock with a GIF.

One fan took a shot at LeBron.

https://twitter.com/idrism1990/status/1588765162076770305?s=20&t=HSnOQTSODGlPNpp4-Z6LwA

Another fan makes a logical point.

This fan has a controversial take.

One fan posted a rather funny apology form.

This season, the Lakers have been receiving more criticism than praise. Positive comments from analysts like Sharpe should give fans some hope that their team may put itself together for the rest of the season.

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