The Los Angeles Lakers’ Russell Westbrook has been criticized for many things this season, namely his multiple flaws on the basketball court and the team’s extremely disappointing season that is teetering on the brink of disaster.
Now there is something new that the 2017 regular season MVP is being publicly blamed for.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverley accused Westbrook of “damaging” his career and reputation during a recent episode of former NBA player J.J. Redick’s podcast, “The Old Man & The Three.”
“I call that perfect timing, divine timing,” Beverley said. “You know people looked at me differently? People around the NBA, coaches, players, like after that people were just taking the ball just going at me.
“I’m like, ‘What the f—?’ All because of what one person said, and that’s how the media is. If one person says one thing, that’s how they take it. And they take it just for that. People really looked at it like, ‘Yeah, maybe this motherf—er don’t play defense. The only thing he does is run around.’
“So, obviously, I had one bad game. ‘Oh Russ was right. I knew this motherf—–; the only thing he did is run around and stuff like that.’ You know, it’s no fun when the rabbit gots the gun now.”
“He damaged my career,” Beverley continued. “Coaching staffs and players, fans, they looked at me way different. They looked at me like, ‘You know what, he don’t play defense. He just yells and run around,’ and held onto that, and some people still do.”
Beverley was responding to a comment Westbrook made two seasons ago when he stated that the then-Clippers guard was overrated as a defender.
Russell Westbrook: “Pat Bev trick y’all, man, like he playing defense. He don’t guard nobody, man. He just running around, doing nothing.” Made sure to note that James Harden scored 47 tonight.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) November 14, 2019
