Over the past few months, Russell Westbrook appears to have found new lease in life by being a two-way spark plug for the Los Angeles Clippers off the bench. Westbrook has been counted upon by head coach Tyronn Lue to be a defensive pest, and with him on the floor, the Clippers play with more pace. The 2017 NBA MVP has also been a key piece for the Clippers in their small-ball lineups due to his elite rebounding for his size.
Some fans found it difficult to believe that Westbrook could become this impactful of a role player after his time with the Los Angeles Lakers ended in frustration. The narrative surrounding Westbrook at the time was that he was a “vampire” who sucked the life out of the Lakers locker room. Things became so toxic that even Westbrook, who's mentally tough, became eager to seek out greener pastures where he would be a more valued member of a team.
“I was so ready to play [for a new team] based on the situation I was in and how it ended,” Westbrook told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk about the trade that sent him from the Lakers to the Utah Jazz, resulting in the buyout that eventually landed him on the Clippers. “[There were] a lot of different emotions. But happy for sure. There just was so much going on at that time.”
The toxicity surrounding Russell Westbrook came as a result of the outsized expectations Lakers fans had of him after LA acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Wizards in 2021. Westbrook wasn't a good fit alongside LeBron James as well, and it's hard to flourish in a LeBron-led team if that is the case. But the Clippers have been a good fit for him, both on and off the court.
Paul George's belief in Westbrook never wavered, and the Clippers' arsenal of shooters from deep made it easier for the former MVP to play his game. Now, the Clippers are on a roll, looking like a championship-caliber team, and Westbrook is flourishing, washing away the stench of a putrid stint with the Lakers.
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