Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook aren't exactly the best of friends. These two are some of the most intense competitors you can ever come across and they have had their fair share of battles against each other on the basketball court. For his part, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar has earned a reputation of being a bit of a loudmouth whenever he takes the court. Even Dame himself would agree and apparently, the Blazers guard knows all about Westbrook's secret.

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, many players from around the NBA consider Russ to be “the most relentless trash-talker in the league.” As it turns out, Westbrook's motives appear to be harmless in that he has no personal vendetta against opposing players he talks smack to. As a matter of fact, word around the streets is that the primary reason behind the Lakers star's smack-talking ways is nothing more than self-motivation. Lillard himself seems to agree with this notion:

“I think he talks to himself out there,” Lillard said.

P.J. Tucker of the Miami Heat also came to a similar conclusion about Westbrook's knack for talking trash. According to the Heat vet, it doesn't really matter to Westbrook who ends up on the receiving end of his smack talk. In the mind of the Lakers point guard, it's all about keeping himself motivated:

“Then I [saw] him when we played together; he’d talk s— to get himself going every night,” Tucker said. “It has nothing to do with you. You’re just a person. You’re just the guy. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you did. You’re the guy and he’s going to talk s— to you.”

This definitely sounds on-brand for Westbrook, who undeniably stands out as one of the most emotional players out there. Russ is the type who wears his heart on his sleeve and for the most part, this attitude has been beneficial for him.

He will need to do much more than exuding a relentless passion on the court for the Lakers, though. Westbrook hasn't exactly found his groove with his new team and in spite of his unwavering confidence, there's no denying that time is running out for both LA and Russ.