The Russell Westbrook experiment has failed. The Los Angeles Lakers made a gamble and they lost. It happens. And, while he's not the only one to blame for their struggles, he hasn't done himself any favors, either.
Westbrook has been defensive against the media all year long. Him stating that he doesn't care about the fans booing him is a big deal. He's not above the organization or the fans, and he should care.
His erratic play, the toll that time takes on high-flying athletes like him, his salary pretensions; and his reluctance to come off the bench have put him in the spotlight. That's why FOX's Jason McIntyre believes he's not getting another chance in the league once his contract runs out.
NBA News: Jason McIntyre Says Russell Westbrook Won't Get Another Contract In The League
“Russell Westbrook ha simply not worked out in Los Angeles. I think what I feel bad about Russ about is once Russell Westbrook’s contract is over, I would venture to say I don’t know that he’s still got a spot in the NBA," McIntyre said.
"This feels like the end of Allen Iverson," the analyst added. "Allen Iverson was like a 20-point scorer, he wouldn't go to the bench he got old and brittle. When you can't make shots and the athletic ability starts to wain, what's the future? What are you bringing in Westbrook for? I'm hopeful that his end of tour with the Lakers is good."
Westbrook Rips Reporter, Claims The Season Isn't Over
Westbrook refuses to give up and is still confident in the team's ability to thrive. Recently, he got into it with a reporter and stated that the season isn't over and that no one knows what he envisioned when he arrived in Los Angeles:
“What did I envision? Is the season over? Is the season over? No? Thank you. What did you envision?" Westbrook said. "Since you spoke for me, I want to know what you envisioned. You still haven’t answered my question."
"What did I envision? I want to know what you think my vision is," he added. "I have no expectations, that’s why you don’t know what I envision. The last 4 years I’ve been on 4 different teams. My vision of thinking everything is gonna be peaches and cream, that’s not realistic, that’s not life. So I come into every situation, start from ground zero and figure out along the way. I have no expectations of how things will work. I just try to find ways to best help my teammates and that’s about it.”
People need to stop blaming Westbrook for everything as much as he needs to start having some accountability. He's been his biggest enemy throughout his whole career and watching such a great player like him go out like this isn't what we, the fans, envisioned.
