Russell Westbrook discusses playing for hometown Lakers: ‘Everything coming full circle for me’

Like many younger gamers within the NBA, Russell Westbrook all the time needed to play for his hometown staff, and now he could have a chance to do exactly that. Westbrook, who’s a California native and attended school at UCLA, was not too long ago traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and to say that he is excited for the chance to swimsuit up for the franchise that he grew up rooting for is an understatement. 

“It is surreal,” Westbrook mentioned of becoming a member of the Lakers throughout his introductory press convention with the staff, by way of ESPN. “I believe it nonetheless hasn’t hit me but, being from L.A., rising up not too removed from right here and with the ability to watch the parades — attempt to go to them, attempt to miss college to attempt to go to them. Being a Laker fan and being from L.A., however now all the pieces coming full circle for me.    

“Being from L.A., you all the time want you can play in your residence staff and be capable of try this,” Westbrook added “However that is undoubtedly one thing that all the time sort of circled round in my thoughts. And possibly at some point. However I’d all the time come again and be like, ‘Ahh, that in all probability will not occur.’  I simply needed to wait and see. However now that we’re right here, I’ll take full benefit of it.”

After competing towards him for effectively over a decade — together with within the 2012 NBA Finals — Westbrook is very desperate to play alongside Lakers star ahead LeBron James. Westbrook and James truly met weeks before the trade to debate doubtlessly enjoying collectively in L.A., they usually got here away feeling that they might make it work, even supposing each have been ball-dominant gamers all through their careers. 

“Bron is without doubt one of the finest gamers to play this recreation, and his potential to have the ability to sort of do all the pieces on the ground permits me to have the ability to simply determine it out,” Westbrook mentioned. “I am coming to a championship-caliber staff and my job is to guarantee that I can make his recreation simpler for him, and I am going to discover methods to try this all through the sport.

“Because it pertains to ball-handling, it actually does not matter. There’s many various methods you may affect the sport with out having the ball in your fingers. I have been ready to try this for a lot of years, and we’ll determine it out.” 

It is not simply James, both, as Westbrook can be bullish on the remainder of the roster, which incorporates different veterans like Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol and Trevor Ariza. Given their sheer expertise and expertise, the Lakers will seemingly be favored to come back out of the Western Convention subsequent season.

“The roster is nice,” Westbrook mentioned. “A bunch of men I’ve already identified, which is even higher. I am all the time trying on the roster and determining how I could make different guys higher, easy as that,” then I am going to discover methods to try this with the roster. I am actually trying ahead to getting with the fellows and figuring it out.”  

Westbrook is a former league MVP and a nine-time All-Star. He has led the league in scoring twice and assists thrice, and he has recorded essentially the most triple-doubles ever. In different phrases, he has just about each particular person accolade that one would need. The one factor lacking from his resume is a title and, with the Lakers, he has a wonderful alternative to doubtlessly win one with the staff he grew up rooting for. You may’t blame him for being excited.