The Los Angeles Lakers lost their fourth game in a row on Thursday night in blowout fashion to the Los Angeles Clippers. Following the contest, both LeBron James and Russell Westbrook gave rather grim interviews. But, it was Westbrook's that really sparked controversy on Friday.
Russ was asked about his expectations prior to coming to LA. Considering the Lakers are a franchise built on winning, you'd believe the veteran thought he'd be coming to join forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis to compete for a title. Instead, Westbrook said he had none of that on his mind. Take it for what you will, but ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith expressed just how disgusted he was to hear these words from the future Hall of Famer.
Article Continues Below“When I watched [Russell Westbrook] in the postgame press conference last night, that was the first time … I looked at him and said ‘he does not deserve to be a Laker’.”
—@stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/sH4GxkxlGf
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 5, 2022
The Lakers have won 17 championships. As soon as you put on the purple and gold, there is pressure to perform. Stephen. A Smith definitely has a point and given the type of competitor Westbrook is, it was rather surprising to hear him say such a thing.
The Lakers are now 27-35 on the season and at this point, it's essentially a foregone conclusion they're going to have to participate in the play-in tournament. There are still quite a few games for Russell Westbrook to turn things around and break out of his current cold streak, but Thursday's interview certainly would've left a sour taste in the mouth of any Lakers fan.