After many seasons of individual success in the NBA, Russell Westbrook is now officially a Los Angeles Laker.
When Westbrook let Washington Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard know that the Lakers were a preferred destination, he had a strident reaction when asked if he would be open to joining the Los Angeles Clippers.
“I really have to make sure the record is straight on that,” Sheppard said in an interview with NBC Sports Washington’s Chris Miller. “Russell actually never asked to move on. He just said, ‘If I can get to the Lakers, that’d be something I would love to do. If not, I’ll be back here.’ I said, ‘What about the Clippers?’ He said, ‘Hell no.’ So Russell was happy being here and we were very grateful for him being here.”
Westbrook is one of the game’s truly unique players. Despite being a 6-foot-3 guard, he has averaged double figures in rebounding multiple times.
He grew up in the Los Angeles area and played his college ball at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has reportedly been a Lakers fan since he was very young.
After failing to win the NBA championship the past two seasons, the Clippers clearly needed a high-level point guard and leader who would galvanize the team. Westbrook would’ve fit the bill, but instead they still lack such a player.
The triple-double king will instead infuse the Lakers with some much-needed speed, intensity, passing and ferocity as they hope to regain the NBA title next summer.
