Russell Westbrook was facing some tough questions from the press following the Los Angeles Lakers' disappointing loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night. Juan Toscano-Anderson was in the vicinity during the said interview, and the new Lakers recruit could not help but stand up for his embattled teammate right there and then.
Toscano-Anderson has now doubled down on his defense of Westbrook amid the heavy criticism the former league MVP has been facing. JTA took to Twitter to clap back at the naysayers that have been spewing all this negativity toward Russ:
“It’s only news because yall make it news,” JTA wrote in his tweet.
During the aforementioned interview, Toscano-Anderson sounded off on the notion that Russ' confidence might be wavering because of all the missed shots (Westbrook went 0-of-11 from the field against the Clippers). JTA was having none of it as he expressed how much of a team player Russ has been, particularly since Toscano-Anderson's arrival as an offseason recruit.
JTA was also seen wearing a Westbrook jersey after a recent Lakers practice session:
Juan Toscano-Anderson is already endearing himself to Lakers fans with his actions. He's by no means a star, but he's the type of player that you just love to have on your team. This is the exact role he played for the Golden State Warriors over the past three years, and the 6-foot-6 combo guard is looking to bring that same fire now that he's in LA.
As for Russell Westbrook, he's definitely going to need all the support he can get from his teammates as he faces yet another rough road ahead of him this season.