NBA star Russell Westbrook was embroiled in a heated exchange with a Los Angeles Lakers fan as the player was reportedly sworn at as he left the court following his team’s defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
The Lakers slipped to a frustrating 103-97 defeat to the Clippers, despite 25 points from Anthony Davis and 20 points - and 10 rebounds - from LeBron James. Lonnie Walker also scored 26 for the Lakers, while Paul George and John Wall led the way for the Clippers with 15 points each.
It was another difficult night for Westbrook. He scored just two points in a performance to forget, although James praised the guard’s defensive hustle.
After the match, Westbrook was walking into the locker room when a fan reportedly yelled, “You f******’ suck!’ - and the 33-year-old heard. Westbrook came back and allegedly told the heckler to say it to his face, which the supporter obliged.
Westbook has often been made the scapegoat for the Lakers’ ‘poor play since he arrived in Los Angeles. On Thursday against the Clippers, he went 0-of-11 from the field and 0-of-6 from 3-point range, and his shot selection was questionable at times.
Shot selection and decision-making have been arguably the two biggest issues for the 2017 MVP. His aggressiveness and single-mindedness have made him into a future Hall of Famer, but they have also led to him taking ill-advised shots in bad spots.
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In terms of 3-point shooting, he was far from the only culprit as the Lakers shot 9-of-45 as a team from downtown and failed to show good discipline by committing to contested outside shots. The Lakers dropped to 0-2, but still rallied from two large deficits and kept it close into the final minute amid horrific shooting performances from Westbrook, Patrick Beverley (1-of-7) and Kendrick Nunn (0-of-7).
For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard had 14 points and seven rebounds in his first game in 16 months. The two-time NBA Finals MVP came off the bench for the first time since 2013 and played 21 minutes in his first game since he tore a ligament in his right knee in a playoff game in June 2021.
Leonard decided to ease back in a temporary reserve role after missing all of last season while recovering from surgery. The 1-0 Clippers face the Sacramento Kings on Sunday after the Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers.
