Why did Russell Westbrook and Darvin Ham fight? Heated exchange in LA Lakers locker room explained during OKC Thunder loss

Recent reports have come out that Russell Westbrook and LA Lakers head coach Darvin Ham got into an altercation during Tuesday's loss to the OKC Thunder.

Many were in attendance to see LeBron James make history as he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list, but Westbrook had his sights set on something else.

According to ESPN's Adrain Wojnarowski, the exchange ensued because Ham did not like how Russell Westbrook took his time coming off the court after being subbed out. The former MVP played 27 minutes in the three-point loss to OKC and finished the night with 27 points, four rebounds, and eight assists.

Adrian Wojnarowski

@wojespn

ESPN Sources: Lakers G Russell Westbrook and coach Darvin Ham had a brief, heated verbal exchange in the halftime locker room on Tuesday vs. OKC. Ham expressed frustration with how Westbrook lingered on the playing floor after getting subbed out of game late in second quarter.

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ESPN Sources: Lakers G Russell Westbrook and coach Darvin Ham had a brief, heated verbal exchange in the halftime locker room on Tuesday vs. OKC. Ham expressed frustration with how Westbrook lingered on the playing floor after getting subbed out of game late in second quarter.

Despite tensions being high, the two appear to have worked things out. Wojnarowski also reported that the two were seen embracing each other as they were leaving the arena.

Adrian Wojnarowski

@wojespn

Voices were raised in locker room, but discussion turned back to trying to win game vs. Thunder, sources said. Ham closed game with Westbrook, who had a season-high 14 points in fourth quarter. Ham and Westbrook dapped up prior to leaving arena later in night. twitter.com/wojespn/status…

Adrian Wojnarowski

@wojespn

ESPN Sources: Lakers G Russell Westbrook and coach Darvin Ham had a brief, heated verbal exchange in the halftime locker room on Tuesday vs. OKC. Ham expressed frustration with how Westbrook lingered on the playing floor after getting subbed out of game late in second quarter.

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ESPN Sources: Lakers G Russell Westbrook and coach Darvin Ham had a brief, heated verbal exchange in the halftime locker room on Tuesday vs. OKC. Ham expressed frustration with how Westbrook lingered on the playing floor after getting subbed out of game late in second quarter.

Voices were raised in locker room, but discussion turned back to trying to win game vs. Thunder, sources said. Ham closed game with Westbrook, who had a season-high 14 points in fourth quarter. Ham and Westbrook dapped up prior to leaving arena later in night. twitter.com/wojespn/status…

This minor heated exchange is an interesting story to follow as the trade deadline rapidly approaches.

What happened between Russell Westbrook and Darvin Ham during the OKC Thunder game's half-time?

While in the locker room during halftime, Darvin Ham approached Russell Westbrook about him taking his time coming off the court. This is what sparked the two to exchange words with one another.

Ham and Westbrook were fired up during the altercation, but it does not appear as it got out of hand. After they said what was on their mind, cooler heads prevailed. Not long after, the focus shifted back to trying to walk away with a win over the OKC Thunder.

Could this altercation have a deeper meaning?

In the NBA, everything gets leaked for a reason. That being said, could this altercation between Darvin Ham and Russell Westbrook have a deeper meaning?

As we know, the trade deadline is rapidly approaching. With the playoffs on their mind, the LA Lakers are exploring all avenues to put a competitive roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The team already added Rui Hachimura, and doesn't appear to be done.

The main player brought up in rumors for the Lakers is Westbrook. With his massive contract, the team needs to move him to create space to fill out the rest of the rotation. One possible destination for him is the Utah Jazz in exchange for veteran point guard Mike Conley.

Seeing his name is once again popping up in trade rumors, Westbrook could be frustrated with his situation. This is what could possibly have led to him coming off the court slowly and getting into it with his head coach.

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