Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook says that he “absolutely” believes that the decision by Lakers head coach Darvin Ham to bring him off the bench during the Lakers preseason finale was a contributing factor for the hamstring injury he suffered that night.
“I’ve been doing the same thing for 14 years straight,” Westbrook said following the Lakers’ loss to the Golden State Warriors on opening night, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Honestly, I didn’t even know what to do pregame. Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose. … That’s something I just wasn’t accustomed to.”
Westbrook was back in the starting lineup against the Warriors, despite being limited in the days leading up to the season opener.
“You want to start the game off the right way in terms of your energy and being in attack mode, and no one better than him,” Ham said. “I mean, it’s what we have, and we got some key guys hurt. It’s Game 1, give them a chance to go out and compete at the highest level. I thought he was solid. I thought he was solid. A couple possessions I wish I can get back, but overall, I thought he was solid.”
“We don’t want to be one of those teams,” he said, “where teams are swaying according to who their opponent is starting.”
The decisions were highly criticizes, especially by TNT analyst Charles Barkley who had the following to say during the halftime break.
“You know how I feel about Russell Westbrook,” Barkley said. “I admire him. I respect him. It’s time for the Lakers to move him. They have taken all his joy out of life and basketball. … This guy used to be so exuberant and play with great energy and great emotion, I think the wear and tear mentally last year, starting this year. … And the thing is, he’s going to get the blame no matter what, because the Lakers ain’t a championship contender. … I think he needs a fresh start, I think the Lakers need a fresh start, because they’re not contenders.”
Westbrook shared his thoughts on Barkley’s comments.
“You know, man, I’m super blessed and leaning a lot on my faith,” Westbrook said. “So, I have a lot of great friends and family, good people in my corner that support me through thick and thin, and when I have God in my corner, it doesn’t really matter what happens outside of that. I stay on course, stay focused, stay locked in. That’s all I can ask.
“Everything else that comes around it, I’ll continue doing what I’m doing, stay locked in on my craft and everything else will take care of itself.”
