It is no secret that Russell Westbrook’s time at the LA Lakers came to an end in tumultuous fashion. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Westbrook was labeled a vampire by LeBron James’ team, something which comes as a surprise. The 9-time All-Star has previously been praised by his teammates for his leadership qualities, something which was true with the Washington Wizards as well. According to Gilbert Arenas on his channel Gil’s Arena, Westbrook had immediately made an impact on Bradley Beal when he stood up for him and asked Wizards’ players to pass him the ball.
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Bradley Beal claimed that not one teammate before Westbrook ever stood up for him the way the 2017 MVP did. While Russ was continuously criticized during his time at the Lakers, his other teams never had such complaints. Westbrook is known for his tenacity, leadership, and hard work, qualities that his Lakers’ teammates did not think he showed.
Russell Westbrook stood up for Bradley Beal during first training session with Washington Wizards
Gilbert Arenas claimed during the video that he was worried about how Westbrook’s perception when he came in at the Wizards. Westbrook had joined the Houston Rockets with multiple unique accolades under his belt. The 2017 MVP is the first player to have multiple triple-double seasons, with the tally currently at 4.
Still, Russ ended up standing up for fellow superstar Bradley Beal. He called Beal the best player on the team, and wanted his teammates to pass him the ball during training:
“I am worried about the perception of Westbrook, you know, how he sounds, When Westbrook came to the locker room, from the gym, we were playing. Westbrook is watching, then he says, ‘Hold on, hold on, give me the ball. You all know who that is? That is Bradley Beal right there, All-NBA player, best player on the team, you can’t go seven times without passing him the ball, you cant even go two. He is the one you got to give the ball seven times, and he will give it to you all.’”
Arenas claimed that Beal was left pleasantly surprised. He also said that it was the first time another teammate had asked for him to be passed the ball. Westbrook’s leadership is often talked about by his former teammates, something that didn’t hold true during his time at the Lakers.
Russell Westbrook’s wife was left furious after reports of him being called a vampire
The LA Lakers had an entirely different perception of Russell Westbrook. Apart from him not being able to find his place in the team, Westbrook was also said to be sucking energy out of the dressing room.
When Dave McMenamin reported the news, his wife Nina Earl reacted in a furious fashion. Nina claimed that the couple’s school-aged children had to hear reports that their father’s peers called him a vampire.
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She spoke about the awkwardness of having to explain to a 5-year-old that her dad was indeed, human. While utterly unfortunate, Nina and Russ will be happy that his time at the Lakers eventually ended. The player has settled in well at the Clippers and will be hoping for better luck in the upcoming season.
