Russell Westbrook's Los Angeles Lakers tenure hasn't been the smoothest. His fit with LeBron James hasn't been the best, and the Lakers have felt the effects of losing their depth in the trade that brought Westbrook to town. Nevertheless, one can never question Westbrook's commitment to winning, and he showed that he had the heart of a champion on Monday night against the Denver Nuggets. And in doing so, he even channeled his inner Kobe Bryant in the process.
Despite the Lakers' 122-109 loss to the Nuggets amid LeBron James' absence due to an ankle injury, Russell Westbrook did everything he could to carry the offensive load for the shorthanded purple and gold. After the game, Westbrook revealed that he dislocated his right pinky finger in the middle of the game and he had to pop it back into place himself much like Kobe Bryant did in 2016.
Thankfully for Westbrook, the X-rays on his injured finger came back negative, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Back in February 2016, Bryant dislocated his finger while chasing a loose ball in the dying embers of a matchup between the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. The Black Mamba was obviously in pain as he held his finger while walking back to the bench. However, Bryant was not about to let a measly dislocated finger derail his night.
Kobe Bryant's trainer, Gary Vitti, immediately popped his finger back into place. And Bryant didn't even have to miss a single second of game time due to what was certainly a painful injury.
Of course, the circumstances surrounding Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant's finger dislocations are different. Moreover, Westbrook is a polarizing figure, at best, among the Lakers fanbase, while Bryant is a universally-beloved figure, having led the purple and gold to five championships during his 20-year stint in LA. But at least for one night, Westbrook showed just how willing he is to tough out an injury even if it didn't result in a victory.
Follow Us
Subscribe