The Los Angeles Lakers suffered yet another pre-season defeat last night, and YouTube star turned boxer Jake Paul has called for the side to get rid of Russell Westbrook.
The Lakers were beaten 118-113 by the Minnesota Timberwolves - who have remained flawless during pre-season. But during the game a bizarre feud appeared to take place between Westbrook and Patrick Beverley.
The incident occurred when Beverley, a defensive player who joined the team this summer and has previous with Westbrook, called a huddle on the court after a defensive error. But despite five-time NBA champion LeBron James and Anthony Davis both listening, Westbrook didn't seem interested and kept himself away from the rest of his team-mates.
That led to Paul declaring his belief that the Lakers should look to offload Westbrook, as he isn't a team player. He tweeted: "Lakers need to pull the plug and trade Russell Westbrook for their sake and for The Brodie’s sake. He’s a star and needs his own team. Lakers need less stars and more Patrick Beverley’s."
The Lakers are heading into another season with James, Westbrook and Anthony Davis, which on paper looks like a dream combination. But last year proved that it takes a team to win games, and not just a collection of star players.
Despite being tipped as potential champions ahead of last season, the Lakers suffered a humbling lesson, and finished with a record of 33-49 record, which saw them miss out on play-offs. James continues to perform at the age of 37, and Davis is still at his peak, but Westbrook has declined since his days at Oklahoma City Thunder.
Fans are beginning to lose patience, and Paul is one of them - voicing his frustration online. The tussle for position was followed by a petty exchange of throwing the ball at one another, and fans, commentators and even James looked stunned at what was unfolding.
James has already been warned about the dangers of this season, as Undisputed host Shannon Sharpe tore into the Lakers, and claimed that he saw the same problems as last year. He fired a huge red flag James' way as he said: "I don't want to overreact because it's pre-season and these guys are trying to get some conditioning, but everything seems to be a struggle again.
"Everything seems to be a struggle, just like it was last year. They don't get a lot of cheap baskets they don't get out and transition, so to be short, I don't see a 60 win team.
"Like I said, it's only pre-season, and we will see how they take shape. But right now, I see more problems with the Lakers than plusses. What did they add from last year?
"Just because it's pre-season doesn't mean you can't do some things well. For me, I still see all of the same problems."
The Lakers have one final pre-season game against the Sacramento Kings to sort their mess out, or it could be another disappointing year for James and his side. And the regular season perhaps begins in the most brutal way, as the Lakers will first face champions Golden State Warriors.
