“I am in awe of the audacity of Russell Westbrook” - Skip Bayless reacts to Russell Westbrook consoling LeBron James and Anthony Davis, says he made it a ‘me’ moment
The LA Lakers suffered a disappointing 131-116 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, with Russell Westbrook benched for the entire fourth quarter. The triple-double champion was seen talking to teammates LeBron James and Anthony Davis after they made their way to the bench for the final time.
When Westbrook was asked what he said, the All-Star guard revealed he tried to cheer them up, saying he wished he was on the court to help them.
Russell Westbrook to LeBron & AD: "I told them I wished I could help them. Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the game to be able to help them & that’s why I came here. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to do that for them but that’s not my call."
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Sports analyst Skip Bayless was furious with Westbrook's comments. Bayless believed the exchange, at first glance, was an attempt to encourage his teammates. But with Westbrook's postgame explanation, Bayless could not hide his frustration.
"They hit bottom in two ways," Bayless said. "They hit bottom on the court and on the bench at the end of the game. I am in awe of the audacity of Russell Westbrook, who created a viral moment that we just saw.
"From a distance, without actually knowing the backdrop of what was actually going on, I thought, 'Is Russ actually trying to cheer them up? Is he trying to be a WE instead of a ME?' No!
"Russ made it a ME moment in what looked like a WE moment. And what I love the most about this moment is LeBron and AD want no part of it. They are either staring at the floor or staring off into space, because they are not reacting in kind. They are not giving anything back."
Russ attempts to console LeBron, AD on the bench in blowout L:
"We're talking about the Lakers at home! They hit bottom in 2 ways: on the court and on the bench at the end of the game. I am in awe of the audacity of Russell Westbrook." — @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/smMdPYTlwU
Westbrook played only 26 minutes and finished with 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting. Added to that were 10 rebounds, five assists and a steal.
Will the Lakers let Russell Westbrook go by the end of the trade deadline?
There have been rumors suggesting the Lakers are looking for trade partners for Westbrook, but with his contract situation, that might be an arduous task. Regardless, it's clear Russ is not a great fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. To that end, Los Angeles (26-29) might need to make a change if they still hope to contend for the championship.
With the continuous late benching, it is clear Westbrook has fallen out of favor with coach Frank Vogel. Vogel has said he plays who he believes will win the game, implying he does not believe in the team's chances of winning with "Brodie" on the floor.
Russell Westbrook over his last 4 games:
10.3 PPG
27.5% FG
15.4% 3PT
55% FT
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The two-time scoring champ is averaging 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game while shooting 43.5% this season. Westbrook, who has made nine All-Star appearances, was not selected for this season's All-Star Game because of his poor performance.