Does Russell Westbrook have a problem with his Lakers teammates? Patrick Beverley doesn’t think so
Is it something or is it nothing? That seems to be the question on everyone’s mind after a video appeared to show Russell Westbrook refusing to join a team huddle.
It may seem like every few days there are reports of some form of unrest in the Lakers’ camp and that’s probably because that’s the case. The least of which are definitely not about Russell Westbrook.
Patrick Beverley says things are “great” with Russell Westbrook
Social media was set alight recently, when a video surfaced in which Patrick Beverley can be seen motioning to Russell Westbrook in an attempt to get him to join a team huddle. Westbrook appears to ignore his teammate’s signals. The moment occurred during the Lakers 118-113 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night and it goes without saying, fans immediately raised concerns about Westbrook’s chemistry with the team. According to Patrick Beverley, however, “everything’s great.”
Interestingly, Beverley told reporters that he was not aware of the video, which was taken from the live broadcast of the game, but he doubled down on the idea that there is no problem with Westbrook. “I sit on the plane, he’s right next to me,” Beverley said. “We get on the road, we hang out together.” Incidentally, this isn’t the first time that Beverley has had to field questions about his relationship with Westbrook. The pair had a previous feud, with Beverley once claiming that Westbrook had “damaged his career.”
Russell Westbrook has his say
It’s important to note, that Westbrook received a significant amount of criticism on social media as a result of the video. Perceived as lacking team ethic when the Lakers are preparing for the coming season, Westbrook bore the brunt of heat online. At any rate, when addressing the video and the backlash, Westbrook explained that he was simply trying to talk to his coaches at the time, but the video was cut. “I’ve been doing that same ritual since I’ve been in the league” Westbrook said on Thursday. “I know I’m a genuine team player.”
As we said before, the Lakers’ under fire point guard has dominated most of the news coming out of LA more or less since he joined. From his salary, to his apparent friction with LeBron James, to owner Jeanie Buss bizarrely calling him the best player on the team, there’s been no shortage of strange and at times harsh reports about the former league MVP. Yet, for better or worse and despite the constant rumblings of a trade, Russell Westbrook is still on the Lakers’ roster. So, perhaps it’s time Westbrook was shown a little love, especially considering that new head coach Darvin Ham has made it clear that he has plans for him. Either way, we can all find out when the Lakers open their 2022-23 NBA regular season on Tuesday, against the defending champions, Golden State Warriors.