Russell Westbrook’s LA homecoming didn’t precisely work out as deliberate.
As a substitute of serving to the Lakers win all of it, Westbrook was as an alternative traded to the Utah Jazz.
However regardless of the unlucky manner issues panned out, LeBron James had a constructive message for Westbrook and the opposite traded Lakers.
“Initially, I shout out and salute the fellows that left, Russ, Pat, JTA,” James mentioned. “Additionally, DJ and Thomas. These 5 guys. All of us began the season collectively and tried to work to make some issues occur and be the very best that we may very well be out on the ground.
“So I salute these guys and their dedication to us making an attempt to be pretty much as good as we may very well be on the ground. And proper now, I imply, I like the fellows that we have now coming in. “I imply, it’s going to take a while for us to get to know each other, however I do know that they play the sport at a excessive degree.”
James’ feedback observe Lakers common supervisor Rob Pelinka explaining the strikes he made on the commerce deadline.
“I feel after we made the Russell Westbrook commerce, we did it with the hope of bringing a championship, having a giant three,” Pelinka mentioned on Spectrum Sportsnet. “And clearly, we fell in need of that. However when one thing’s not working as a common supervisor, it’s your job to repair it.
“Nobody has an ideal monitor report,” he continued. “However whenever you really feel like a staff isn’t performing the best way it’s purported to you gotta rearrange the elements. And that was kind of what we did on the commerce deadline. Now that mentioned, Russell Westbrook was a consummate skilled and had nice video games as a Laker. And we loved having him as a Laker.”
