The Los Angeles Lakers tend to exist on a teeter-totter with dysfunction on one side and dynasty teams on the other. Considering the club didn’t make the postseason this year, we can safely say they are firmly in the camp of the former.
It hasn’t even been 24 hours since the regular season ended and already the Lakers appeared to fire their coach without telling him, got thoroughly roasted online after they did announce it in very bizarre fashion, and all of that was before the players even had a chance to speak on the season for themselves.
Well, speak Russell Westbrook did on Monday. And he did not hold back.
After Los Angeles made Westbrook their prized acquisition this year, the guard never seemed to fully find his rhythm playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Given the chance to explain why that was, Westbrook went off.
When @DanWoikeSports mentions that LeBron and AD said many times throughout the year, "Let Russ be Russ," Russell Westbrook immediately responds: "Yeah, but that wasn't true. Let's be honest."
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) April 11, 2022
Russell Westbrook said "top to bottom" on coming to L.A.: I just felt like I was never given a fair chance to be who I needed to be to help this team.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) April 11, 2022
Russell Westbrook on what it was like with Frank Vogel: "I've never had an issue with any of my coaches before."
"I'm not sure what his issue was with me," he said about Vogel, and said he felt like he was trying to prove himself to Frank throughout the year.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) April 11, 2022
Continued: "It’s a combination of where we are on the floor, positioning … trial and error. Finding ways to be able to utilize us to the best of our ability.”
Said he rarely felt like himself in 2021-22. https://t.co/2yCstOqqHk
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 11, 2022
Russ says he never told the coaching staff that there was something he wouldn't do.
"Any situation I've been in, I've had to make the sacrifice," Westbrook says.
— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) April 11, 2022
"There's just so many made up stories that are not true… That's part of not getting a fair chance. Like 'OK, now I have to fight against this made-up story.'"
Westbrook declined to give examples, saying that the stories are untrue and he does not want to highlight them.
— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) April 11, 2022
Russell Westbrook: “I’m big on putting a ton of pressure on myself coming into any situation. Just my play in general, not my best season … I know a lot of people outside of here have their own expectations, but for me personally … I’m not happy."
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 11, 2022
So, yeah. That’ll probably do it for the Russell Westbrook experiment in Los Angeles. While the guard does have a player option for $47 million, it sure seems like both sides are ready for new directions.
Even when given softball questions like “how cool was it to player for the Lakers?” Westbrook didn’t seem interested in giving the fanbase something to feel good about.
Russell Westbrook disagrees that playing for the Lakers was a childhood dream, says he never even dreamt of playing in the NBA. Calls it an unbelievable blessing but not something that he dreamed of growing up
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) April 11, 2022
"I'll make that decision, that's why it's called a player option," Westbrook says of his $47 million player option for next season. "I haven't thought that far into anything."
— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) April 11, 2022
It’s also hard to justify keeping together a Big 3 that went 33-49 this season—including 25-30 when Westbrook and James played and 17-22 when it was Westbrook and Davis.
The Lakers have an absolute mess on their hands. Anyone who watched them this year could see it. No single person may be to blame, but the finger pointing has begun in earnest.
Westbrook was the first to admit on Monday that his play was not up to his standards. It doesn’t sound like a second year in Los Angeles will fix things.
"Not my best season, just going off my own personal scale," Westbrook says. "I'm not happy with the way this season (went)."
— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) April 11, 2022
But who knows? It’s a long offseason, there’s plenty of recruiting to be done, wine to be shared and the guard says he and James still have a great relationship off the court. Some fences can be mended.
It’s probably for the best if this one just collapses—much like the team that built it.
