From their first game together, it was clear that the pairing between point guard Russell Westbrook and the Los Angeles Lakers wasn’t meant to be. The two sides never seemed to fit together, and by the end of their time together, it got a little ugly. The fans had turned on Westbrook early into his time with the team, and it seemed his joy for playing basketball was all but gone. It was a sad sight, especially for someone like Westbrook, who is always smiling.
So, when he was traded at last year’s trade deadline, it was a massive exhale for all Lakers fans. The former Lakers guard opened up about how he felt after the big trade at the deadline went down. It seems that he felt very similar to how many LA fans did. “I was relieved on all levels [after being dealt].”
The entire situation between the Lakers and Westbrook was one of the more interesting in recent years. Being from Southern California, Westbrook wanted to put on a show for his hometown fans, but his play never lived up to his desire.
He wasn’t the sole reason LA struggled during his year and a half with the team, but he also didn’t help things. Westbrook hardly ever took accountability for his poor play, and at the end-of-year press conference in 2021-2022, he somewhat threw the other players under the bus. “Westbrook is smiling often these days. With the Clippers, the soon-to-be 35-year-old has found “a place where I’m comfortable, with people that I like and want to be around,” he said. The change can be traced to Feb. 20, when he signed and immediately felt he could be himself around teammates like Paul George and coach Tyronn Lue.”
