The Kings have the worst record in the NBA with a quarter of the season remaining. Sacramento dropped to 14-50 on the season with a loss to the Pelicans on Thursday night. Russell Westbrook had 19 points and 10 assists in the game so he got to speak to the media. He was in no mood for small talk.
Westbrook, on his seventh team in seven years, doesn't like whatever's being written about the Kings in the local media. Westbrook went after the assembled press, saying that none of them knew what was going on because they weren't in the building or in film sessions.
.After getting a fairly innocuous question about what the team could accomplish down the stretch despite their record, Westbrook started with a stock answer before asking the media what they would do. No one had the answer he was looking for so he continued to ask questions as everyone in the room tried to figure out what was going on this season.
"You guys have a lot of opinions about how we do what we're doing," said Westbrook. "What you got? No, you. You make a lot of statements and broad statements that you have no context so, where do you get your contexts from? Are you at practice? Are you at our film session? Are you anywhere around the building? No, I haven't seen you at practice so the false context and actually do you know me? No, you don't know me. You don't know me, but you make a lot of comments as all you do."
Westbrook then remarked that the press was quiet, which only made him ask more questions.
"What I don't like is the, I've been around the league a long time and I've been around a lot of different organizations, media, beat writers and we have a lot of young guys on this team. A lot of guys that don't know what's happening."
Westbrook then turned his attention back to the media.
"Your guys' job is to talk about the game," he continued. "What's happening in the game. Not stir up a bunch of... I don't wanna cuss here because I don't wanna get fined, but stir up a lot of stuff here that's not accurate and that's my problem I've been a while I've experienced a lot of times where people outside outside of our building outside of our film session."
“Being in the league a while, I’ve had experience where people outside of our building and film session, outside of what we do daily, how much work we put in, that’s not an easy job to do. I think the respect level is that we respect y’all and what you do. You guys come in and make your comments, and nobody says nothing. I don’t have to sit back. The media’s been my thing, but as the leader of this team, it’s my job to speak up for the guys in the locker room. We talk about this year, I hear it.”
“But because of the comments you guys make, we’ve got guys thinking about a whole bunch of random things that have nothing to do with the game. You guys are making false comments about the team and what we’re doing here, and I don’t appreciate that. I ask you to respect what we do and we’ll respect what you do… It’s not about me, I’ve seen much worse. It’s about the team and the organization.”
While Westbrook may have convinced some media members to take it easy on his younger teammates in all this, arguing that people have already pointed out the offense and defense are bad and they have the worst record in the NBA wasn't the press conference win he thought it was.
At 37, Westbrook, who is on a one-year deal, has played all but five games for the Kings this season. He is averaging 15.3 points 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds while playing 28.9 minutes a night. If no one wants him in their rotation next season he should at least be considered for a job in the PR department.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Agitated Russell Westbrook Confronts Media After Kings' 50th Loss.
