Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder point guard and NBA MVP candidate, had a “meeting” with LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer on Saturday. The meeting was reported to be a chance for the two men to discuss whether or not Westbrook would leave his beloved Thunder for the Clippers.
Russell Westbrook is a native of Los Angeles. He grew raised in the neighborhood and went on to UCLA to play basketball. Going to the Los Angeles Lakers this summer to join forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis was a homecoming for the 2016-17 NBA MVP.
But Westbrook also understands how the rest of the city feels about the Lake Show and its younger sibling, the Clippers. In fact, he used just two words to disparage the failing business and demonstrate that he had no desire to visit it.
Russell Westbrook was a Wizards player in 2020-21.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8 4bg7qqx4
After spending the previous season with the Houston Rockets, Westbrook joined the Washington Wizards for one season in 2020-21.
In Washington, the nine-time All-Star averaged a triple-double with 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and an NBA-leading 11.7 assists per game. He also aided the team’s return to the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18.
“When you look at Russell’s season, it’s a shame he wasn’t also All-NBA,” Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard told NBC Sports. “Bradley [Beal] deserved them more than anybody else, but I felt Russell should’ve gotten his flowers as well. He had a triple-double average. He was instrumental in getting our club to the playoffs when we were in a position where I believed the season was gone halfway through.”
According to Sheppard, Westbrook utilized his one season with the team to make a big impact.
According to NBC Sports, Sheppard remarked, “I can’t emphasize it enough that the footsteps he left in here were exactly like when Truth was here before that.” “I can’t thank Russell enough for bringing Paul Pierce in and having such a positive effect on our company from top to bottom.”
Westbrook left the Wizards this summer, as previously stated. However, he seems to have said that he only wanted to join one other squad.
Russell Westbrook used two words to slam the Clippers and demonstrate his devotion to the Lakers.
On September 28, 2021, Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers attends media day. Getty Images/Harry How
Sheppard told NBC Sports that he wanted to “make sure the record” was “straight” on how the trade that brought Russell Westbrook out of Washington came to be.
“Russell never requested to be moved on. ‘If I can go to the Lakers, it would be something I would want to accomplish,’ he simply said. According to NBC Sports, Sheppard replied, “If not, I’ll be back here.”
When questioned about the Clippers, though, he claimed Westbrook only had two words for him: “Hell no.”
In a five-team trade, the Wizards transferred the former Oklahoma City Thunder standout to the Lake Show, his favorite club growing up. But he also seemed to state unequivocally that he had no interest in the Clippers, reinforcing the notion that they are the Lakers’ younger sibling.
The Clippers will never be able to compete with the Lakers.
Russell Westbrook’s desire to play for the Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis over the Clippers, who have a great squad with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, demonstrates that the Lakers are the city’s primary club.
They’ve been in Los Angeles since 1960, but they started out in Minneapolis, and they’ve won an NBA-record 17 titles and made the playoffs 62 times. The Clippers, on the other hand, relocated to Los Angeles in 1984 after spending time in San Diego and Buffalo. They’ve only reached the playoffs 16 times in their history and have yet to win a title.
According to Forbes, the Lakers will be the third most valuable club in the NBA in 2021, with a valuation of $4.6 billion. At $2.75 billion, the Clippers are ranked sixth.
The Clippers will always be chasing the Lakers rather than the other way around, whether or not they have superstars like Leonard and George. Although there has been some rivalry between the teams in recent years, many residents of Los Angeles, as well as NBA fans from outside the city, are aware that it is one-sided; the Lakers are the city’s main club.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
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