Celtics announcers respond to LeBron James' fiery reaction on Russell Westbrook 'scapegoat' claimÂ
Boston Celtics announcers Brian Scalabrine and Drew Carter responded to LeBron James' fiery reaction to their take on him and the LA Lakers 'scapegoating' Russell Westbrook. Scalabrine and Carter expressed dissatisfaction with Westbrook getting all the heat in his time in LA as LeBron's teammate during Friday's preseason game between the Denver Nuggets and Celtics.
On Saturday, James responded to the viral video of Scalabrine and Carter's criticism on air, calling Westbrook a legend and clapping back at the Celtics announcers.
"Took a trip all the way to Abu Dhabi to be on my.....Eat some breakfast first! Anyways Brodie a LEGEND," James wrote.
Scalabrine and Carter addressed James' tweet on Sunday ahead of the Celtics-Nuggets Abu Dhabi preseason rematch. The former started the conversation about Westbrook getting the heat, while the latter brought LeBron into the conversation, suggesting it's common for his teammates to get scapegoated.
Saclabrine admitted it was his fault that he initiated the conversation around Westbrook's time with the Lakers. He then explained himself, saying (via Celtics on NBCS Sports):
"It was unfair that Russell Westbrook got that heat, and it wasn't just from LeBron. It was from their [Lakers] whole entire organization. Calling him Russell 'Westbrick' and all that other things. So, I'm gonna take the heat on that one ... Drew was just getting my back, so, LeBron, this one's on me."
Brian Scalabrine appreciated that LeBron James 'set the record straight' by calling Russell Westbrook a 'legend.'
Meanwhile, Drew Carter mentioned a list of other personnel, including former Cavs coach Paul Silas and former Lakers coach Frank Vogel to defend his take on LeBron James' teammates getting scapegoated.
However, he did mention it's the media that is responsible for this and not the four-time MVP.
"People who play with LeBron end up getting scapegoated and I think a lot of the time, it's because of the media, let's blame it on the media," Carter said.
The Lakers went 33-49 in Russell Westbrook's first season and were 25-30 in his second before he got traded at the deadline to the Utah Jazz in a three-team deal. The media narrative at the time was Westbrook's lack of form and inefficiency led to LA's struggles.
Brian Scalabrine recounts Lakers coach JJ Redick disapproving Russell Westbrook, LeBron James pairing
The Lakers went 33-49 in Russell Westbrook's first season and were 25-30 in his second before he got traded at the deadline to the Utah Jazz in a three-team deal. The media narrative at the time was Westbrook's lack of form and inefficiency, leading to LA's struggles.
For many, the Lakers made one of their worst trades by acquiring Russell Westbrook in 2021. It seemed like a solid deal on paper. However, on the court, Westbrook and LeBron James appeared to have an awkward fit from the very beginning.
Both players had high usage rates. While LeBron James was comfortable playing off the ball, Russell Westbrook wasn't, which led to his struggles.
Brian Scalabrine reminded everyone that Lakers coach JJ Redick, who was a podcaster at the time, also criticized the James-Westbrook pairing.
"The Laker coach now [Redick], also thought it was a dumpster fire too at the time, we're not the only ones," Scalabrine defended himself and Carter for their comments on air (via Celtics on NBC Sports).
Westbrook averaged 17.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in 130 games for the LA Lakers. He shot 43.4%, including 29.7% from 3. The Lakers went 56-74 in Westbrook's tenure.