The Russell Westbrook experiment did not go as planned for the Los Angeles Lakers, but retired pro Jamal Crawford believes haters should cut him some slack.
Crawford showed support for Westbrook in an Instagram post and noted that the former MVP is described as a class teammate by “so many.”
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Westbrook’s trade earlier this week marked an end to his tenure with the Purple and Gold, and after the deal went down, one report that made the rounds described him as a “vampire.” Of course, there has been plenty of pushback to the slander, including from the nine-time All-Star’s wife.
Russell Westbrook’s wife, Nina:
"I have school aged children who have to listen to their peers repeat the nasty things that you guys say on television about their father. I guess I will prepare myself to explain to my 5 year old that his dad is not actually a vampire." pic.twitter.com/NLugeZVvGY
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 10, 2023
When Los Angeles acquired the point guard in the 2021 offseason, the organization was hoping that the addition would help it become a championship contender again. After all, Westbrook was coming off a season where he posted 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists per game.
However, on-court fit and chemistry issues plagued his Lakers stint and hindered the proud franchise from achieving its potential. Westbrook did bring it every night in terms of energy and missed only a handful of contests, but his playing style didn’t mesh well with the rest of L.A.’s roster.
According to Sam Amick and Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the last straw that pushed the front office to ship Westbrook away was his taking of criticism personally and walking off the floor slowly upon being replaced in a game near the end of his Lakers stint.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka managed to get the organization out of the situation by trading Westbrook away and netting multiple rotation players in return.
It remains to be seen how the rest of the 34-year-old’s career will play out. Many think that he will agree to a buyout with the Utah Jazz in order to sign with a different squad this season.
As for Los Angeles, it just got its first victory following the end of the Westbrook era, notching a win against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday despite the absence of LeBron James and a cold shooting night from Anthony Davis.
