After two straight debacles, Team USA finally got off the schneid with a big 108-80 win over Argentina on Tuesday night. But while Bradley Beal and the Americans dominated throughout, that didn't stop the Washington Wizards star from getting a little heckling from the crowd.
As Beal stepped to the line for a free throw in the fourth quarter, a fan who had earlier told Damian Lillard to come to the Los Angeles Lakers yelled at the Wizards star that Russell Westbrook needs to be traded. Beal definitely heard the wisecrack and missed the free throw.
Via The Athletic's Joe Vardon:
āOf course I heard that shit,ā Beal confirmed later.
The Beal and Westbrook pairing made for some fireworks this season in Washington. The Wizards started off the season on a terrible note, and it looked like the experiment was going to be a complete disaster. But then Westbrook came on strong, with the two star guards leading Washington all the way back into the play-in picture.
The Wizards then advanced to the playoffs before losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in five games. Scott Brooks isn't coming back as head coach, with Washington still deciding on his replacement. They're the only team still executing a coaching search.
The Wizards could look to trade Westbrook this offseason, but his $44.2 million salary obviously complicates things somewhat. Beal himself has been involved in plenty of trade rumors, though there's no indication that he wants out or that Washington will seriously entertain trade offers. Plenty could change, of course, as the offseason goes along.
As for Beal and Team USA, he put up 17 points in the easy victory over Argentina. Perhaps this big win will help the Americans finally find a rhythm and catapult them to gold after the earlier exhibition disasters.
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