Though point guard Russell Westbrook has certainly had a rough go of it at times with the Los Angeles Lakers, it seems like he has really won the hearts and minds of his teammates this season. In fact, his teammate Juan Toscano-Anderson went as far as to spend thousands of dollars at Westbrook’s clothing store in Los Angeles.
Westbrook was first acquired by the Lakers before the 2021-22 NBA season. Not only did he struggle on the court, but he also seemed to struggle to connect with his teammates. It seemed to be a case of a former superstar not dealing well with the fact that he was no longer the sole leader and focal point of a team.
This season, however, things have been incredibly different. Westbrook accepted a role coming off the bench for L.A. and has thrived in that capacity. Not only that, but his teammates have seemed to really buy into his energy and leadership.
As for Toscano-Anderson, his show of support for Westbrook’s clothing store is an awesome story to hear.
“Juan Toscano-Anderson told us that he went to the store with his girlfriend,” Dave McMenamin said, referencing Westbrook’s clothing store. “… He said he bought every single male item of clothing in his size in the store. He dropped several thousand dollars just to support his teammate. … This shows to me that, for a guy who had trouble connecting with the Lakers locker room last season for a variety of reasons, mostly based on the frustrations from how he was fitting on the court, he has a true connection to this year’s group.”
So far this season, Westbrook has come off the bench in all but three of his 38 appearances. Though his numbers have obviously taken a dip compared to those of his peak years, he is still averaging 15.1 points, 7.9 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game.
Beyond that, he has seemingly found his voice as a leader despite no longer being the alpha dog.
For the Lakers going forward, it will be interesting to see if the new dynamic in the locker room leads to sustained success. There is no doubt that the Lakers are a better team now than they were to start the 2022-23 season. However, it is hard to see the Lakers doing much in the form of postseason success.
Regardless, it is great to see the players supporting one another. That can only lead to more success on the court in the future.
