Russell Westbrook became the latest star of the Los Angeles Lakers after coming via trade.
The Lakers, desperately seeking an upgrade for a playmaker, got their man in Westbrook after shipping out Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and a 2021 first-round pick to the Washington Wizards; L.A. also received three second-round picks in the deal that involved five teams.
The opportunity to play for an NBA team in L.A. is something Westbrook wanted to do after playing collegiate ball at UCLA; he also grew up in the area, so he’s coming full circle at this stage of his career.
Being the latest star to don the purple and gold also has its perks, as Westbrook threw the first pitch at the L.A. Dodgers game Sunday:
An LA kid's dream.@russwest44 x @Dodgers pic.twitter.com/oT3JgOKsJj
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 22, 2021
Westbrook joins other notable Lakers like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant who have done the honors of throwing the game’s first pitch at Dodger Stadium.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka also attended Sunday’s game as the Dodgers played against the New York Mets.
