Russell Westbrook sends sincere message to Lakers fans amidst controversy surrounding 4th quarter benching

Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook has been struggling as of late, but he attempted to calm down fans that are doubting that he can turn things around.

“I think it’s important to know that part of the process of being on a new team is that there are going to be a lot of ups and downs and struggles throughout a season,” Westbrook told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “It’s been a challenge for the last three years — just trying to figure things out. I lean on a lot of my faith to be able to stay locked in on my craft and work my a– off and find ways to make situations work. The challenge is how to be the version of myself for this team, that’s what I’m trying to figure out.

“I want to get better as the season goes on, and I’ve got to take responsibility for the things I’m doing and how I’m making those around me better. We have a legitimate chance to be able to win it all, and to do that, I’ll have to better — and I know that I will be.”

This season, Westbrook is averaging 18.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 30.4 percent from beyond the arc.

He was benched in the Lakers’ loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

The Lakers are just 22-23 this season, and they’ll need Westbrook to be true to his word and play better if they want any chance of making a title run.