The Los Angeles Lakers will hold on to Russell Westbrook, at least for the time being. However, he’s far from a fan favorite in Los Angeles, and some still blame him for the team’s shortcomings last season.
That’s been the case with Westbrook throughout his entire career. He seems quite misunderstood and is often portrayed as self-centered and a bad guy, yet most of his former teammates seem to love him.
Recently, Bradley Beal joined the long list of former teammates who have come to Westbrook’s defense, stating that he’s an amazing teammate and not at all how the media tries to put him.
NBA News: Bradley Beal Defends Russell Westbrook From Criticism
“One, he’s an amazing teammate,” Beal said. “He’s the complete opposite of the picture everybody kind of paints him to be, at least character-wise. If you’re his teammate he rides for you. He rides for his guys; he loves his team.”
“That’s what he’s all about, even the staff,” Beal added. “It’s a respect factor, from top down. And I enjoyed playing with him. We knew what we were getting in practice, and in game, it’s the same guy. He would go hard in practice, pushing everybody. He’d push me. That part of him is phenomenal.”
Perhaps Westbrook gets that reputation because of the way he handles himself on the court, but the reality is none of us actually knows him. Also, the lack of postseason success will always be a stain On his résumé.
Westbrook gets picked on for not winning an NBA championship or even going back to the NBA Finals despite having a plethora of All-Star and All-NBA teammates by his side, but it’s not like he’s the only one to blame.
At the end of the day, it would be a shame to see one of the best players of his generation retire without a championship ring, but even those who don’t like his game can’t deny that he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer.