Russell Westbrook’s LeBron James comment spurs NBA Twitter roast of Lakers star

Russell Westbrook set up Aaron Gordon's game-winner before swatting a LeBron James question out of the ballpark in the post-game presser.

Russell Westbrook’s LeBron James comment spurs NBA Twitter roast of Lakers star

Russell Westbrook, LeBron James

Fans of LeBron James just took another L after Russell Westbrook helped the Denver Nuggets land another game 1 win. The Denver Nuggets’ sixth man was imperious in Denver’s road win, making an impact on both ends of the floor. Westbrook was all over the place, impacting things for the better or worse in the clutch win. But his last act on the court was undoubtedly a meaty winning play for Denver.

The OKC Thunder have the second-best net rating of any NBA team ever. They had a 68-14 record during the regular season and entered the postseason with barely any blowout losses this season. They entered this series as -700 favorites to beat Denver. They looked likely to win game 1 after entering their locker room at halftime with a 10-point lead. However, Nikola Jokic made sure that Denver stayed in the game.

The three-time NBA MVP, who is up against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a losing battle for his fourth MVP, stamped his authority as the best basketball player in the world with a monster game 1 outing. Jokic recorded 42 points, 22 rebounds, 6 assists, a steal and 2 blocks on the night. He outplayed SGA thoroughly, especially on offense, putting Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein in the torture chamber.

With Michael Porter Jr having a thoroughly off night (going 1-8 from the field), Russell Westbrook had to step up. The former MVP stamped his impact on the game with 18 points, going 7-13 from the field. His contributions helped to narrow the gap between OKC’s bench and Denver’s. With three other starters notching up double digits, the Nuggets hung with OKC for the entire length of the game.

Westbrook set up the game-winning 3-pointer by Aaron Gordon, dishing to him on the left wing in transition. Gordon’s shot, hit with 2.8 seconds left in the game, gave Denver a 121-119 lead. Speaking to reporters after the game, Westbrook laid out his thought process behind the timely pass.

He was then asked a question about LeBron James out of nowhere – a reporter asked him whether he’d spoken to James about his recent MCL injury and given him advice about his knee injury. Slightly bemused by the timing and tone of the question, Westbrook still managed an answer that would be music to the ears of James’ haters.

I haven’t talked to Bron in I don’t know how long.

Russell Westbrook told reporters

NBA Fans praise Russell Westbrook and lambast media personnel for the LeBron James question

Networks’ fixation with LeBron James over the past 22 years has been a pet peeve for many fans. Reporters finding ways to link his name to anything and anyone, irrespective of the specific game’s context, have always been frowned upon. This occasion was no different as NBA fans united in their outpouring of hate for the Lakers star as well as the reporter who asked about James.

Some fans asked what James had done to deserve a call from Westbrook. They hold him responsible for characterizing Westbrook’s time in Los Angeles in such a bad fashion.

Some fans tried to make sense of the question, linking the Met Gala to James’ absence from the red carpet.

Ultimately, the media failed at trying to get a positive quote out of Westbrook for James. This is quite warranted given how Lakers media personnel, the fans and to some extent even his former teammates have laid Westbrook out to dry after an unsuccessful Lakers tenure. Nevertheless, one would hope that the media stops trying to force weird connections happen.

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