**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins





But remember he doesn't take this home and he is a winner at life.

As much as I hate RW- from my experience-winning players don’t act like KAT did on that play. The list is long and includes Russ who use to rock the baby on people. That’s a losers mentality there. Front running. Openly disrespecting the game with taunts on a professional level. Literally never works and usually is a way of overcompensating for insecurities. Other names that come to mind: Pat Bev, Crowder, Drummond, Harden, shroeder…

That’s why I hated that the lakers did all that talking in game 3 vs the suns. They were even throwing off the backboard dunks while Drummond was on the bench imitating lebron. And why I would bet against Ja and the Grizzlies bc they do tons of that kind of stuff.
 
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Russ getting clowned on a nightly basis. He’s so focused on Paris fashion week he doesn’t even care. Bev and KAT crossed the line imo. Calling him trash and clowning the airball. That’s too much. Players should stick together he’s obviously going through mental issues
 
Why does anyone feel for Russ?

All he has told the media is he doesn't care, he doesn't bring this home, he is a champion at life.

He has done nothing to improve his game. People are coming directly at him and instead of being motivated he does the same crap night after night.

He will rock the baby when he makes one layup. He will scream at dort when he celebrates but then acts like nothing bothers him.

100% Fraud. I just want him gone.
 
Why does anyone feel for Russ?

All he has told the media is he doesn't care, he doesn't bring this home, he is a champion at life.

He has done nothing to improve his game. People are coming directly at him and instead of being motivated he does the same crap night after night.

He will rock the baby when he makes one layup. He will scream at dort when he celebrates but then acts like nothing bothers him.

100% Fraud. I just want him gone.
I don't feel bad for Russ at all... I push back on stuff that I don't agree with that's all

Russ said he doesn't care what fans or other players think... I don't think that's something he should be concerned with either.

Russ said he doesn't take this home with him...again, I don't think if you're having a bad day at work that you should bring it home and let it interfere with your family life.

I agree with you he hasn't improved his game pretty much at all since he's been in the league.

He was a great player in his prime, he is trash in whatever year this is for him in 2022.

I want him gone as well.
 
Ya he tells the media he doesn’t care. I think that’s just lip service. I think deep down this hurts and affects him and you can see how it’s messing with his mind on the court. This is the first time I’ve seen a basketball player with the classic baseball yips. Like he forgot how to shoot, dribble, control the ball, participate on defense etc. it’s crazy
 
Why does anyone feel for Russ?

All he has told the media is he doesn't care, he doesn't bring this home, he is a champion at life.

He has done nothing to improve his game. People are coming directly at him and instead of being motivated he does the same crap night after night.

He will rock the baby when he makes one layup. He will scream at dort when he celebrates but then acts like nothing bothers him.

100% Fraud. I just want him gone.

All of this. And he’s done nothing to make himself a sympathetic figure at all with his indifferent nonchalant attitude in all this.

Like how did he think acting indifferent and saying he doesn’t care etc was going to be received by the fanbase. And personally I don’t blame him or any player in general for not caring what the fans think. But don’t get upset and complain when your indifference is a big contributing factor in the reaction you’ve been getting.
 
Ya he tells the media he doesn’t care. I think that’s just lip service. I think deep down this hurts and affects him and you can see how it’s messing with his mind on the court. This is the first time I’ve seen a basketball player with the classic baseball yips. Like he forgot how to shoot, dribble, control the ball, participate on defense etc. it’s crazy

Bean was wrong.

Bean said Russ was a competitor like him.

Clearly that's a lie.
 
Ya he tells the media he doesn’t care. I think that’s just lip service. I think deep down this hurts and affects him and you can see how it’s messing with his mind on the court. This is the first time I’ve seen a basketball player with the classic baseball yips. Like he forgot how to shoot, dribble, control the ball, participate on defense etc. it’s crazy
I'm not dismissing what you're saying as a possibility, but I do have another possibility: he DGAF but he is here and does want to keep playing for SOMEONE.

He is one of the best basketball players on the planet, all jokes and criticism aside. He just doesn't have a passion for being on a championship team. "I would like to be on a championship team" is different than "I am hyperfocused on being on a championship team and that's literally all I want, even if it means me taking less minutes, less money, going to the bench, changing my position on the court, whatever."

He is not that 2nd person. He's the 1st person. "Sure, hoisting the O'Brien would be kind of cool. " That's him. He's a freakish athlete that shows up every night to show out. That's different than being a freakish athlete with a passion for being at the top of the mountain at some point. That's Giannis. For Backboard Russ, the top of the mountain is simply being in the NBA, knowing that people say that he's one of the best basketball players in the entire world. That's his peak.

-foe
 
I'm not dismissing what you're saying as a possibility, but I do have another possibility: he DGAF but he is here and does want to keep playing for SOMEONE. He is one of the best basketball players on the planet, all jokes and criticism aside. He just doesn't have a passion for being on a championship team. "I would like to be on a championship team" is different than "I am hyperfocused on being on a championship team and that's literally all I want, even if it means me taking less minutes, less money, going to the bench, changing my position on the court, whatever."

He is not that 2nd personHe'ses the 1st person. "Sure, hoisting th O'Brien would be kind of cool. " That's him. He's a freakish athlete that shows up every night to show out. That's different than being a freakish ashleep with a passion for being at the top of the mountain at some point. That's Giannis. For Backboard Russ, the top of the mountain is simply being in the NBA, knowing that people say that he's one of the best basketball players in the entire world. That's his peak.

-foe

I get what you’re saying. It’s just that watching him play, he’s scared out of his mind to shoot. And when he does it’s an airball or brick, which makes him more scared and more in his head on dribbles catches and layups. Completely mentally done. He needs to sit the season out. Go see Ted Lasso’s therapist
 
I don’t think Russ ain’t scared to shoot bro 😂

I’m sure he knows his shot is trash.

I think he’s wired to attack first and second, pass third. Shoot the jumpers if open or just often enough to kinda keep the defense honest, which they’re not. I mean you can’t ONLY drive all game. I’m fine with end of shot clock ones where he has to let it go, the early shot clock jumpers are killer
 
I feel bad for Russ when it’s on the road and you guys big mouths on the other team openly mocking him. That’s bullying and at this point is like continuing to beat up on someone after they’ve taken 85 blows to the head and is completely unconscious possibly dead.

I’ll be the first in line to want him gone and have hated his fit and disliked him from the second we traded for him.
 
Iono.....I actually do feel bad for him, he's completely cratered as a player.

Dude averaged a triple double for an entire season FOUR times, and is now being openly clowned on a nightly basis by the entire NBA/Social Media world.

He used to hustle his *** off all night, now he just stands around and does dumb **** then says even dumber **** after the game. :(

If we are able to move THT, the 2027 and 2029 picks with Russ this summer, he's likely bought out by that team and doesn't even play for them. He literally could be outta the league inside a year or two.

And this was supposed to be his chance to chase for a ring. Now he's gonna be on his fifth team in 5 years, and possibly paid to stay home. Damn. :{
 
In all honesty. Westbrooks mindset of not caring once the clock hits 0 and not taking any of this home with him is likely the mindset a lot of players have. Basketball is ultimately a job to them, which they happen to be insanely good at. But not everyone is going to have that Michael Jordan last dance, win at all costs, taking losing personally mentality.

I’ve had jobs where I’ve been disinterested, disengaged and half assed it and shut anything work related down the second I clocked out (that last part is perfectly normal). Only thing is I’m not a public figure on tv almost every night playing for the flagship organization in the league I play in with a global fanbase. If I act indifferent with my job, only people I’m hearing it from is my coworkers (if impacted by my poor performance) and higher ups.

But in the case of Westbrook. Unless he legitimately doesn’t care (I don’t think that’s the case the way he seems bothered by some of the stuff), he’s extremely tone deaf. People can live with their favorite team losing if they feel the effort is there and that the players care or even pretend to care while the cameras and mics are on. For as much as Laker tickets cost both at home and even on the road, I could see how his nonchalant attitude would alienate fans, and that goes beyond anything performance related.
 
I’m kind of torn about Russ, I liked his energy during his early OKC days and I’m rooting for him like I did for Dwight (redemption story) but he does some things that makes it hard.
 
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