The Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James is entering what will be his 23rd year in the NBA, and 8th with the franchise. While he is generally seen as a superstar who elevates his teammates, former Boston Celtics man Enes Freedom Kanter recently spoke at length about the impact James has had over one specific former teammate, in the form of Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook arrived in LA back in August 2021, lost his starting role after the first season, and eventually made his way to the Los Angeles Clippers in February 2023.
“It all started with the Lakers, as soon as he went to (the) Lakers. I don’t wanna blame anyone. I don’t wanna blame LeBron or whatever, but it’s hard to play for the Lakers man,” Freedom can be seen explaining, via Sideline Sources.
The 33-year-old claimed that Westbrook was “picked” as the scapegoat after his first season when the Lakers finished 11th in the Western Conference, missing out on the postseason. Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists, but his high turnovers and 47.6% shooting efficiency were seen as problems.
“Then after that, I mean look at his career. I do think, I mean right now was his 18th year, and this guy unfortunately can’t even find a team to play right now,” Freedom continued.
Asked whether the hate ended up affecting Russ mentally, Freedom concurred.
“I think so, because people were saying some hard names and some nicknames. I don’t even wanna repeat it,” he said, referencing the hate Westbrook received from Lakers fans.
Westbrook started just three games in his second season, averaging 15.9 points, 7.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game. The former triple-double machine was then traded to the Utah Jazz, reaching a contract buyout agreement within days before signing with the Clippers as a free agent. While Freedom did not explicitly blame LeBron, he clearly believes Westbrook's stint in LA derailed his career to some extent.
Russ is undoubtedly no longer the same player, but continues to be a solid role player in the NBA. He averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds for the Denver Nuggets last season, and remains a free agent as things stand.
