Russell Westbrook Praises Kyrie Irving

After earning a reputation for being a difficult teammate, Russell Westbrook is now rewriting the script and receiving praise for being a great teammate. His latest rise as a fan favorite continues as he showers high praise on a surprising NBA star.

Westbrook's Bad Reputation

Ever since Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder and parted ways with longtime teammate Russell Westbrook, rumors about Brodie's locker room behavior have circulated. We all know from his on-court play how intensely Westbrook approaches basketball. With several All-Star teammates like James Harden, Paul George, and Bradley Beal all seemingly underachieving while paired with Westbrook, a reputation began to surface suggesting he wasn't a good teammate and couldn't succeed alongside another star player.

This reputation intensified when Russ joined the Lakers, marking his fourth team in as many seasons. Here, the Lakers significantly underperformed, and amidst the team's struggles, anonymous reports surfaced about his reluctance to move from the starting lineup to the bench. Now, in his first full season with the Clippers, it seems we may have wrongly labeled Westbrook. His recent actions are proving him to be a highly popular teammate for this new-look Los Angeles squad.


Westbrooks's New Look

With many viewing this opportunity with the Clippers as potentially Russell Westbrook's final chance, he embraced his signing with the team. Despite playing less than a quarter of the season since his arrival, he took charge and led the team in the playoffs when both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard were sidelined due to injury. Although they fell short, Westbrook seemed to echo shades of his former MVP self.


Since then, he has adapted to maximize the Clippers' potential. Westbrook willingly accepted a significant pay decrease when he re-signed with the Clippers for under $4 million per year and has continuously exerted his efforts to benefit the team since joining.

When the Clippers acquired James Harden, resulting in an excess of ball-dominant players in the starting lineup, Westbrook voluntarily requested to move to the bench. This decision instantly proved advantageous as the Clippers ended their 6-game losing streak.

These recent actions, coupled with viral comments from former and current teammates, have debunked the reputation of Westbrook as a bad teammate. In fact, Russ has started to gain a new following among fans.

Westbrook Praises Surprising Star

Now, leveraging his newfound level of fandom, Westbrook has praised another star with a controversial reputation. Following the Clippers' recent victory over the Mavericks, Russ commented on opposing star Kyrie Irving.

In the age of social media, people's opinions can swiftly be swayed with just one or two negative clips. This is why you witness a lot more animosity towards professionals in sports leagues today compared to any previous era. Enter Kyrie Irving, a highly controversial NBA superstar known for sharing and staunchly defending his beliefs and views.

Among his notable controversies was his stance on enforced COVID vaccinations, resulting in his absence from many months of NBA games. Coupled with his moves among several teams, Kyrie has earned a less than favorable reputation. Westbrook, perhaps relating to this, has spoken out about his profound respect for the former number 1 pick. Additionally, he revealed his appreciation for Kyrie's support in a friendship largely unknown to the public

Russell Westbrook on Kyrie Irving:

«I respect him for everything that he stands for and stands on... I'm always thankful for him supporting me through everything since I've been in the league.»

(via @joeylinn_) pic.twitter.com/cYW33eU5ml— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 26, 2023

Credits
The Coldwire