"Never ceases to amaze me" - Paul George applauds Russell Westbrook's sacrificial stance since extending Clippers stay
Paul George was lavish in his praise of teammate Russell Westbrook and his sacrificial decision to come off the bench if it would help the LA Clippers win.
The former MVP came off the bench for the LA Lakers in his tumultuous second season with the franchise. It was a move that played a role in his resurgence, and he capitalized on it once he was signed by the LA Clippers.
The explosive guard suggested that he would come off the bench, as the Clippers struggled to notch up wins despite having James Harden. For George, that was a sign of Westbrook being the ultimate team man. On his Podcast P, the former applauded the 34-year-old for his stance.
“For us to go through this stretch of not winning and not knowing how to win with this squad yet, for him to take initiative and be like ‘you know what I'll sacrifice, and I'll try to make this work and come off the bench,' it just says a lot about him, bro.
"He never ceases to amaze me, as long as I've played on the same teams and as long as I've known him. Every day it's something new. Shout out to him. That's not an easy decision to make, especially when you still have so much game and value to this league.”
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The move seems to have worked, as the Clippers arrested their losing streak by notching up a 106-100 win over the Houston Rockets in the NBA In-Season Tournament. They followed that up with a blowout 124-99 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
With the group committed to making it work, Westbrook making the ultimate sacrifice just might be what the Clippers needed. The two wins will surely see a surge in confidence, and for that, Russell Westbrook will have the respect of his teammates.
Russell Westbrook explains decision to come off the bench for the LA Clippers
Russell Westbrook made his feelings clear when asked about his decision to come off the bench for the LA Clippers. The guard had earlier made headlines when he volunteered to be the team's sixth man and provide his starting spot to another player.
According to Sports Illustrated, the move to come out was made with hopes that it would spark a turnaround.
"Just going out and doing whatever is best for our team to be able to win games, and that’s it. The ultimate goal is to win games. That’s all I can do. Go out and compete, and make sure we try to win games."
This season, Russell Westbrook is averaging 13.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 12 games. Now, with his decision to come off the bench, it remains to be seen if LA can notch up more wins.