Former OKC teammate and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins feels the outrage against Russell Westbrook has taken a toll on the latter’s morale.
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LA Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook has been the eye of the storm for a while now. The former MVP has had a string of poor performances. In his last three games, Westbrook has averaged a dismal 7.6 PPG on 20% shooting from the field and 0% from the 3-point line.
Westbrook is currently 3rd in the league when it comes to turnovers, averaging 4.4 per game. The superstar has been subjected to massive trolling and hate recently. However, things went too far during the game against the Sacramento Kings.
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The operations team at the Kings arena mocked Westbrook every time he missed a shot.
the Sacramento Kings played “Cold As Ice” every time Russell Westbrook missed a shot last night.
when asked after the game about it, he said “that’s funny, i hope they played that the last 14 years too.”
the reel + his comments: pic.twitter.com/mxf3ml0deT
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) January 13, 2022
Brodie’s recent post-game interviews bear evidence of the fact that his confidence has taken a massive hit. The other day Westbrook laughed being addressed as the Lakers point guard.
Russell Westbrook sarcastically laughs when a reporter suggests he is the point guard for the Lakers pic.twitter.com/Yt23Mulu3c
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) January 11, 2022
Former Thunder teammate Kendrick Perkins believes Westbrook’s self-belief has taken a massive hit.
Kendrick Perkins reflects on Russell Westbrook’s recent interviews.
Westbrook is easily one of the most polarizing stars of the current generation. Some of his accomplishments include all-time leader in triple-doubles, MVP, multiple scoring titles, and a nine-time All-Star.
However, his inability to win in big moments continues to haunt him. Over the years, Westbrook’s jump shots conversion rate has declined rapidly, and the turnovers only add to his misery.
Westbrook was 2-for-12 from the field in the loss against the Grizzlies and 2-for-14 against the Kings. Many believed the Lakers to be the top contenders in the West entering this season. However, things haven’t gone according to plan.
The Lakers shipped an entire batch of its young players to acquire Westbrook, which hasn’t seemed to work out. During a recent segment on ESPN, Big Perk spoke about how he felt Westbrook was a broken man.
Perk might have a point here about Russ. https://t.co/kYM8az1AAL pic.twitter.com/zRnWgniUkw
— ’ ️ (@_Talkin_NBA) January 13, 2022
“Watching his interviews, listening to him, he looks broken,” Perkins said.
Once known as one of the most athletic guards in NBA history, Westbrook finds himself at a difficult stage in his career. Nonetheless, the trolls and hate have gone too far.