Russell Westbrook Aw Shit Here We Go Again

abril 23, 2022 Postar um comentário

Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook is not a fan of the media. He has made his skepticism and distaste for the media abundantly clear throughout his NBA career.

Westbrook was jovial and frequently quotable during his first training campsite with the Lakers. Withal, since his opening dark struggles and through a shaky first quarter of the 2021-22 NBA season—for him and the Lakers—Westbrook's disposition towards the media has shifted. He'south been terse later on losses, frustrated almost repeatedly answering questions almost the Lakers' progress, and has tended to look at his telephone throughout press conferences.

During a post-practice media session on Thursday—i day earlier the Lakers face up the Los Angeles Clippers—things got unexpectedly testy between Westbrook and reporters.

It began when Westbrook was asked by The Able-bodied's Bill Oram (over Zoom) near the previous reporting that Westbrook privately talked with Kawhi Leonard virtually joining the Clippers a few years ago. In August, ESPN'southward Ramona Shelburne revealed that Westbrook and Leonard spoke before Leonard gear up his sights on Paul George, then with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.

The back-and-forth led Westbrook into a diatribe on journalism practices and sourcing. Unfortunately, the Lakers cutting the interaction out of the video they posted, but here's a transcript of the conversation.

Oram: Hey Russ, on the PG front, before he ended up with the Clippers, there was some reporting that you had some involvement maybe in joining up with Kawhi. I'm just curious how you look dorsum at it, and how you remember that story has played out for the two of you since that moment.

Russ: Reports from who?

Oram: I think at that place were a couple of different reports over this summertime that you had perhaps had some conversations with Kawhi and then that was used maybe to faciliate PG coming to the Clippers.

Russ: I know. You didn't tell me who it was from. If you can't tell me who y'all got it from and then I tin't reply the question.

Oram: Like what outlets?

Russ: Yeah. I want to know who you got it from.

Oram: I call back at that place was an ESPN report, at that place was an Athletic study. It's been out at that place.

Russ: I know. From who, though?

Oram: Uhh. I don't have the in—

Russ: Ahh. Well so I don't got an answer for you, neither. You tin can't tell me who you got it from, then I don't actually know.

Oram: And then is that not true?

Russ: I asked you who you got it from, you can't give me an answer, right? You gotta find a different question.

Oram: That was a different question.

Russ: Well, distressing for you Bill.

Oram: Is it true?

Russ: Where do you get your question from? Who'southward your source?

Oram: I got it from reading about the NBA.

Russ: OK, and who did they get it from, practise you know?

Oram: They got it from the people they talked to.

Russ: And who was that?

Oram: For all I know information technology was yous. Was information technology you?

Russ (laughs): I don't talk to the media, can't exist me.

Dan Woike (Los Angeles Times): Honestly, were yous interested in coming to play in LA with Kawhi Leonard?

Westbrook said he sits back and waits for people to telephone call him, and has "no reply as it pertains to that." A few minutes afterward, Woike tried to broach the topic over again, leading to this conversation on the state of journalism.

Russ: You lot asked me a question based off a story that someone else had written, only yous don't know where they got it from, or you don't know if it's truthful.

Woike: I would say the erosion of relationships between athletes and reporters has fabricated this awkward.

Russ: I'm talking about for me. I don't know what nobody else do. I accept no relations with no media outlet where they come up to me and become, 'here, Russ, I got a source for you.' That'due south not what I practice, and now you lot guys know that.

Reporter: I empathise that. Like I said, I retrieve that'southward where, like, people speak for you or speak effectually you and that's what happens.

Russ: I don't let nobody speak for me. If yous don't hear it from me, don't get with, 'the source said.' Sources volition go y'all in problem.

Kyle Goon (SCNG): Don't you retrieve information technology's fair that now that reports are out there, that we come to you and ask?

Russ: You lot can inquire. It's how you ask it, though. Information technology'due south how you ask the question. Where you lot get it from. That's very important. How you ask it, it's unlike, it'southward very direct. Bill asked it with a bunch of b*llshit in the question. There's merely a difference. Yous enquire me very direct, 'Hey, you know duh duh duh?' Simple. I can tell you lot 'nah' or I can keep it to myself.

Woike: To be fair, you didn't actually answer the original question.

Russ: I didn't, and he didn't answer mine either. So, if Nib don't know where he got his question from, his source from, and then I approximate I don't know anything either.

Reporter: Information technology's just like, as we deal with agents and stuff like that, that's where this shit happens. This is like part of it.

Cantankerous talk and laughter around the room.

Russ: It'south just of import that you know where your sources of information are coming from. I understand that there are a lot of sources. Ramona reported a story about Kawhi. I never talked to Ramona.