Russell Westbrookold teammates of, Kendrick Perkins, had words of encouragement for him on ESPN’s “First Take.”
Perkins sheds light on Westbrook’s history of coping with adversity, urging him to become the superstar he was in the past. Westbrook underperformed in his first season for LA Lakers, it is difficult to make even a jump.
Westbrook played 45 games, averaging 18.5 points, 8 rebounds and 7.8 assists. While the numbers don’t sound like bad, he had trouble keeping the ball safe – leading the league with 188 passes. As a result, Westbrook had a lot less time in the 4th half.
Perkins remembers old Russ, saying:
“Whenever Russell Westbrook had a bad game and Russell Westbrook listened to us, with ‘First Take’ – he was everything people said about him. And we all know that he always reciprocs, whether it’s a guy talking loudly to him – the next day he’s like, ‘I’m going to go out there and get him, you know. Are not;’ and suddenly he went out there and gave them their value. I don’t see that like Russ. ”
Westbrook and Perkins were teammates on the OKC Thunder for nearly five seasons. Perkins understands better than most Westbrook’s type of player and how he deals with adversity.
Analyst Stephen A. Smith later offered his opinion on Westbrook, including his success in court, saying:
“He is very charitable, and his soul is in the right place. The problem with that is that he doesn’t separate it from the game – once the outcome is over. In other words, you lose a game – SO? “
IG / @ _ michaelmorales10This corner of Russell Westbrook’s SUBSCRIPTION on Rudy Gobert IG / @_michaelmorales10 https://t.co/WAEWIKyhkS
Smith said there was no shortage of effort from Westbrook but felt his reaction to losing a game was not the same.
Smith also said:
“But the point is, in my humble opinion – having watched Russell Westbrook all these years, the attitude is – I’ll give everything I have in the game, but if the results aren’t as I want, then I’m still good. Because guess what, I’m happy – you know, I’m happier than the champions. Those who have won the championship, I am happier than them. You can’t be a Laker and feel that way.”
The Lakers are one of the NBA’s oldest franchises, as all the legends have worn purple and gold. So when someone plays for that franchise, the expectations are always high. All Lakers legends play football with the desire to win titles and strive for greatness.
Kendrick Perkins said he believes Westbrook is still there in him, saying:
“If I’m here, Stephen A., if you’re here to say things about Russell Westbrook – it’s because we expect more and we know he can give more. I just want to see old Russ. Forget about shooting, I need to watch that Mamba Mentality. ”
Rob Pelinka talks about how Kobe praised Russell Westbrook during his MVP season and feels that Russ embodies Mamba Mentality. (📽️: @ArashMarkazi)https://t.co/hrkziHxYwI
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Westbrook, from Los Angeles, was delighted to be transferring the franchise. While his performance didn’t live up to the high standards the Lakers organization expected, Russ could change that with a few fixes to his game. He can start by simulating “Mamba Mentality” in the house of the deceased Kobe Bryant.
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https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/news-russell?utm_source=feed&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=sportskeeda Russell Westbrook needs to go back to his old days, says Kendrick Perkins