Russell Westbrook did not speak to the media after he was subbed out for the final three minutes and 52 seconds of the Los Angeles Lakers' home loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. However, based on his immediate reaction to Frank Vogel's bold decision, the nine-time All-Star earning $44 million did not seem thrilled about being replaced by a guy on a minimum contract.
First, we got the postgame report from ESPN's Dave McMenamin which revealed Westbrook exited the court with about eight seconds remaining and jettisoned from the locker room before his teammates finished showering. On Thursday, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register shed more light on the ordeal:
The 33-year-old point guard nearly left the floor after he was subbed out for Malik Monk, but teammate DeAndre Jordan shepherded him back. Westbrook watched the next few minutes unfold, apparently jawing from the bench with his jersey untucked, although exactly what was said (and at whom) is still unclear.
(From my vantage point at Crypto.com Arena, I noticed that Russ went straight to the tunnel after being pulled. FWIW, Goon asked LeBron about a late-game exchange with somebody courtside, and LeBron angrily deflected the question—saying he usually remembers everything but didn't remember that.)
Westbrook scored 14 points on 5-of-17 from the field and had just two rebounds and three assists. His defensive lapses on Caris LeVert were cited by sources as a cause for his benching.
As for those who did speak to reporters, Vogel—who very well could have been fired after the loss—was blunt in his reasoning.
“Playing the guys I thought we’re gonna win the game,” Vogel said.
Basketball-wise, sitting Russ in crunchtime makes sense. His value lies over the course of a game/season, not in tight, late-game moments (for various reasons).
Conversely, coaching is about managing egos as much as anything. Now you've got a disgruntled star & tense locker room
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) January 20, 2022
Vogel reportedly had the go-ahead from the front office to bench their highest-paid player with the game on the line. It's apparently been a talking point for weeks. He sat Russ for the first nine minutes of the fourth quarter in Monday's win over the Utah Jazz.
The Nuggets game was a blowout, but the next 2 games have been close in the 4th and Vogel — possibly with his job on the line — has kept Russ on the bench for 17 of 24 total 4th quarter minutes https://t.co/TYYYTMqSCQ
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) January 20, 2022
Carmelo Anthony attempted to relate to Westbrook's struggles and prioritized Westbrook's mental well-being.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1TPm3OFftbac33PA5zzf8R?si=445634ab44734fe2
Finally, a testy LeBron James, who was in no mood to address the situation, responded to a reporter's question with a question:
“Have you followed Russ throughout his career?” LeBron asked.
“Probably not as closely as you have.”
“OK. Have you followed him throughout this season?”
“Yeah.”
“Now would you think that would bother Russ, not being in the late game?”
“I would imagine.”
“Well, there's your answer.”
Here’s the video:#Lakers #LakeShow
— Michael J. Duarte (@michaeljduarte) January 20, 2022
The Lakers (22-23) will begin a six-game East Coast road trip on Friday versus the Orlando Magic. How Westbrook and the Lakers respond to all this drama will define their season—and likely determine Vogel's job status.
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