"Y'all really hate me this bad and I wear LA to the grave" - Gilbert Arenas claims constant booing from LA Lakers fans has completely broken Russell Westbrook
California native Russell Westbrook was really happy to play in front of his hometown fans at the start of the season. The LA Lakers acquired him from the Washington Wizards during the summer, teaming him up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in search of another title. But things have been rocky for the franchise.
Westbrook has had a rough season both on and off the court.
On the court, he’s gone from averaging a triple-double in the previous season to turning into a poor shooter for his new team. Ideally, the expectation is that the home crowd will rally behind him to help him get out of his slump. But Laker Nation fans have taken a different approach, booing Westbrook on numerous occasions.
On the latest episode of “No Chill with Gilbert Arenas,” Arenas, a former NBA player from Los Angeles, talked about the issue:
“Everything he does is LA – 'I’ve repped LA. I love LA. I bleed LA.' To come out in a game, and those fans boo you at home ... When you get booed at home, it does something. It mentally destroys you.”
Westbrook has played 70 games, averaging 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. While his shot conversion problems and turnover rate are often highlighted while talking about the Lakers’ problems, the numbers aren’t that much off his career averages.
RUSSELL WESTBROOK AT THE DEATH https://t.co/zI4Eycbi1t
Westbrook’s shooting averages are close to his career averages, and the 3.9 turnovers per game are, in fact, much better than his previous seven seasons' turnover averages. So, it pretty much boils down to his confidence and trying to overcome the challenges the team is facing as a whole.
Arenas gave his take on the Westbrook crisis by saying:
“It’s the confidence. Like, I personally didn’t even think Westbrook’s confidence can get shook.
“He’s LA. He loves this city. So, when the city boos him, it’s actually personal for him. It’s a personal thing, like, 'Damn, y’all really hate me this bad, and I wear LA to the grave.' It’s more personal than it is basketball.”
The path ahead for Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers
Despite a disastrous season for the LA Lakers, Russell Westbrook hasn’t been all that bad – barring a lack of defensive aggressiveness he usually plays with. Westbrook has had tough seasons in the past and has played in front of hostile crowds as well. So, for him personally, it will come down to being able to turn off the noise and focus on the task at hand.
Russell Westbrook said his wife texted him this photo moments before he spoke to the media. It brought a smile to his face when he was asked about the moment which LeBron posted on IG. https://t.co/Rte4m6S7xy
The LA Lakers (30-41) are tied for ninth in the West with 11 games left in the regular season. The games for the final stretch are going to be challenging.
The Lakers visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (41-30) on Monday night. They also face the Denver Nuggets (42-30) twice as well as the Philadelphia 76ers (43-27), Phoenix Suns (58-14) and Golden State Warriors (47-24). Plus, there are games against the Utah Jazz (45-26) and Dallas Mavericks (43-28).
The Lakers seem destined for the play-in tournament as either the ninth or 10th seed. They are tied with the Pelicans for the ninth seed, with both teams trailing the eighth-place LA Clippers (36-37) to reach the Seven-Eight Game. Both teams are 2.5 games ahead of the 11th-place San Antonio Spurs (28-44).
The Pelicans hold the tiebreaker with the Lakers because of their 123-95 win on Feb. 27. But the teams play March 27 in New Orleans and April 1 in Los Angeles.
A sudden turnaround is their only hope. Anthony Davis’ return could spark some fight, but the road ahead is by no means an easy one.