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Baron Davis couldn’t have been more frustrated with how Russell Westbrook’s stint with the LA Lakers ended. The former MVP was acquired in a blockbuster trade in 2021 by the Lakers to form a Big Three with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Instead of contending for a championship, the Lakers couldn’t even make the playoffs. Westbrook had a contentious back-and-forth with reporters and even Crypto.com Arena fans booed him on numerous occasions.
Davis had this to say about Westbrook’s time with the Lakers on the “AllClippers:”
“Russ got love from the real people in this city. When you look at L.A. as an entertainment space, a media source, and what the national media picks up, he didn’t get the attention that he should’ve gotten [with the Lakers]. But he’s always got love here.”
Russell Westbrook played 130 games for the LA Lakers and averaged 17.4 points, 7.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds. He shot 43.4%, including 29.7% from deep.
Following the Lakers’ failure to make the 2022 playoffs, “Russ” threw everyone under the bus and never admitted his mistakes. He revealed that LeBron James and Anthony Davis never allowed him to play his game when they repeatedly said ‘Let Russ be Russ.’
The triple-double king didn’t just stop with the Lakers’ two superstars. He also slammed former coach Frank Vogel for not putting him in situations to succeed.
The LA Lakers’ 2021-22 horrible season wasn’t squarely on Russell Westbrook’s shoulders. He could also have done much better but just refused to cooperate when his team needed him to.
With Westbrook now playing for the LA Clippers, Baron Davis couldn’t be any happier for him:
“Him being home is always great. It’s great for the city, it’s great for the kids, Russ is just a stand-up guy. He’s a great player, a legend, and a future Hall-of-Famer.”
Russell Westbrook reminded people what he can do in last year’s playoffs
Paul George wasn’t available in the first round of the playoffs last season against the Phoenix Suns. Kawhi Leonard played just two games. Russell Westbrook was pushed back into the limelight and he delivered.
“Russ” after his tumultuous time with the Lakers showed that he could still impact playoff games. In five games against the Suns, he averaged 23.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals. When he has the ball in his hands, he remains one of the best players in the league, particularly on offense.
Davis had this to say about Westbrook’s fit with the Clippers:
“[Westbrook’s] leadership definitely helped the energy the Clippers played with. That type of determination and will as a backbone, I think that’s what the Clippers needed, that backbone and that energy source.”
