Ever since Russell Westbrook was first acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers there has been chatter about him being a poor fit in the locker room.
Clashes with his former head coach, Frank Vogel, didn’t do Westbrook any favors. Neither did some of his more eyebrow-raising encounters with his star teammates last season.
That said, it really feels like Westbrook has turned over a new leaf this season.
This past week, ESPN NBA insider Dave McMenamin disclosed how close the bond between Westbrook and his Lakers teammates is becoming.
And it isn’t just talk.
According to McMenamin, Thomas Bryant, Wenyen Gabriel and Juan Toscano-Anderson have all been quietly sporting items from Westbrook’s fashion line in support of their highly-polarizing teammate.
“This shows to me for a guy who had trouble connecting with the Lakers locker room last season for a variety of reasons mostly based on the frustrations from how he was fitting on the court,” McMenamin said.
“He has a true connection to this year’s group, and through that connection, it’s allowed him to have his influence on what this team looks like, the culture of the team.”
McMenamin is known for two things: how plugged-in he is with the Lakers and his ultra-famous girlfriend. So if he is saying this, you know it’s true.
In 2022-23 Westbrook was blamed for everything that went wrong with the Lakers – no matter what it was. Some of the criticism was justified; some of it was not.
This season L.A. is still awful. The team is 20-24 and sits 13th in the Western Conference. But it is hard to fault Westbrook for that. He has been a good soldier throughout, even agreeing to come off the bench if it offered his squad a better shot at winning.
You have to respect it.
NFL fans react to Molly Qerim’s outfit choice for First Take. https://t.co/sv1Sw1fqxX
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 17, 2023
The Lakers’ NBA Trade Deadline plan speaks for itself. Whether it will materially impact the second half of the season will reveal itself in due time.
Either way, though – Westbrook has really won a lot of fans and teammates over this year.
It is amazing what a positive attitude can do for someone’s reputation.
Related: LeBron James’ Encounter With Female Lakers Fan (Video)
Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
