LeBron James and Russell Westbrook have become intense rivals in recent times. On top of that, the thing is, the Lakers and the Clippers are a pretty fierce city rivals as well. Moreover, Russell Westbrook perhaps did not like the way the Lakers and LeBron James treated him in the end. As a result, Westbrook made some gestures toward James during the Lakers-Clippers games that increased the hype of the James-Westbrook rivalry.
Lately, in the last matchup between the Los Angeles city rivals, LeBron James went to the Clippers players to dap them prior to the game. But Russell Westbrook kept standing on the other end and avoided LBJ conspicuously. Later, in the game, Russell Westbrook was on fire as he put a lot of pressure on the Lakers and LeBron James. Eventually, LBJ lost his cool and screamed at his teammates for not guarding Westbrook well.
LeBron James Loses Cool On His Teammates For Not Guarding Westbrook Well
Moreover, James mentioned, “We’re better than this s**t. Give me that s**t.” Hence, LeBron James took matters into his own hands, and he did block Russell Westbrook twice. Moreover, King James ruled the game as he scored 35 points. Eventually, the LA side won 130-125 in overtime. Moreover, LeBron James helped the Lakers end the 11-game losing streak against their city rivals. On top of that, the Lakers did not play the game with their full bench strength.
Many key players were out with severe injuries, like Jarred Vanderbilt, Taurean Prince and so on. But the James-Davis duo was on top form, and the Wednesday’s game was so far the best of the Lakers this season. Can the James-Davis duo carry the team in the same way for a few more games until the team gets back their full bench strength? But the Lakers sure need to ensure some much-needed rest time for LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It is because these top stars are also the most injury-prone players on the roster.
History Of The Westbrook And James Rivalry
Both these superstars played the majority of their careers for different teams from the ones they’re playing for at present. Russell Westbrook became a star playing for the Oklahoma City Thunders and played for that franchise for a long time. On the other hand, King James played the majority of his career for the Cleveland Cavaliers. But he won his first two NBA championships representing the Miami Heat. While he won a couple of titles with the Heat, LBJ met Westbrook in the 2012 NBA Finals. The Thunder and the Heat had an exciting battle.
However, despite Westbrook’s brilliance, the Heat, with LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, won the 2012 Finals in five games. But the Westbrook-James intense rivalry did not start then. It all started when the Los Angeles Lakers traded Russell Westbrook in the last midseason to bring balance and stability to their roster. The OKC Thunder star was just not fitting into the Lakers’ scheme of things. Moreover, the Lakers traded Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in a three-team deal. But Westbrook later signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. That way, he and his family did not have to leave Los Angeles.
