"He does not deserve to be a Laker" - Stephen A. Smith calls out 9-time NBA All-Star for his seemingly casual attitude towards the franchise
Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers had one of their most embarrassing losses of the season on Thursday night. Their arena rivals, the LA Clippers, outplayed them to pick up a 132-111 win.
Reggie Jackson ended up with a season-high 36 points, along with eight rebounds and nine assists. He was a problem for the Lakers throughout the game.
The LA Lakers showed no intent in the second half, despite being in a position where they could not afford any more losses. Their attitude has raised a lot of questions about their playoff chances, and Russell Westbrook’s responses in post-game interviews have been counter-productive.
“When I watched [Russell Westbrook] in the postgame press conference last night, that was the first time … I looked at him and said ‘he does not deserve to be a Laker’.”
—@stephenasmith https://t.co/sH4GxkxlGf
On the latest episode of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown,” Stephen A. Smith shared his discontent towards Westbrook’s post-game comments after the Lakers' loss to the Clippers. He said:
“A lot times people have unfairly attacked his character - throughout the year, cause I find him to be somebody who strives to be selfless, he’s not somebody that doesn’t care, he’s never cheated us with effort.”
He added:
“But Wilbon, J Rose, Greeny, I gotta tell you – when I watched him in the post-game press conference last night – that was the first time, regardless of what happened with Russell Westbrook this season, that I looked at him and said ‘He does not deserve to be a Laker.’”
In the loss against the LA Clippers, Westbrook played only 29 minutes, scoring 17 points, grabbing eight boards and dishing out three assists.
The nine-time All-Star has struggled to find a suitable role within the rotation and is going through a shooting slump.
Smith threw light on the reasons behind his comment, saying:
“I have never heard any member of the Los Angeles Lakers, in my quarter century plus of coverage of sport, say ‘I had no expectation.’”
He added:
“First of all, wearing the Purple and Gold brings expectation, they got 17 titles, okay. Secondly, and most importantly, your teammates are LeBron James and Anthony Davis – they both have chips. You were brought there pretty much by LeBron James to help deliver the chip.”
Russell Westbrook is known for being blunt in interviews and responding with snarky comments when he does not like the questions. However, Smith feels Westbrook should be mindful of his words. He said:
“I know that you were just responding to the questioner, but the bottom line is that the answer you were disseminating was to the masses - which includes Laker Nation.”
Russell Westbrook unable to find his own within the LA Lakers' roster
The LA Lakers roster that was built to deliver the championship recorded their 35th loss of the season in the most disconcerting fashion against the LA Clippers.
Anthony Davis has been on and off, while LeBron James seems to be singlehandedly shouldering the team’s offensive responsibilities. In a situation like this, Westbrook's comments only worsen the atmosphere in the locker room.
https://t.co/voiHyxk3tL
With 20 games left in the regular season, the Lakers’ playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. While many have written them off, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook will try to find it in themselves to deliver during the final stretch of the season.