It's not exactly the happiest of birthdays for Russell Westbrook, who just requested a trade from the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Westbrook's future in Houston, the team still went out of their way to greet him on his birthday.
Houston's official Twitter account posted a simple birthday message for the embattled star:
https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1326895021107392512
It's not as if the Rockets had any other choice here. Not greeting him would have been even more of a PR nightmare, as it would have been a clear indication of how he's no longer wanted in Houston. Then again, that might be reading too much into it.
If you look at the comments section of the post, though, most of the responses are not exactly positive in nature. Clearly, more than a few Rockets fans are disgruntled by how Westbrook is now looking to walk away from the team just one season after joining the squad.
The Rockets have yet to respond to Westbrook's trade request, but more often than not, it's the player who gets his way here. By taking such a drastic approach, it is clear that Westbrook is adamant about leaving Houston as soon as possible. He could have kept his request under wraps, but the fact that it has become so public through the media just points to the fact that there's probably no turning back at this point.
Barring an unexpected change of heart, Westbrook has likely already played his last game as a Rocket. It would be a shame if the reunion of Westbrook and James Harden ends so quickly, but it's clear there have been plenty of issues behind the scenes in Houston.
Happy birthday to Russ, though.
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