Russell Westbrook’s press conference following the Sacramento Kings’ 133-123 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans started innocently enough Thursday. But it turns out, all it took was a simple “how you doing, Russ” to throw everything off the rails.
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Westbrook was apparently not in the mood for that type of question, and decided to berate and belittle the media for roughly six-and-a-half minutes following the loss.
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It made for an awkward and uncomfortable press conference.
Westbrook took a few reporters to task during the presser, pointing out that some of them are not at practice or present for the team’s film study — which is typically closed off to media. He also called out a few reporters for their opinions, though, when asked, Westbrook said he didn’t want to go down a rabbit hole with specifics.
While the first few minutes of the presser seemed contentious, Westbrook eventually started giving earnest answers to questions. He still carried a bit of an edge, though, telling one reporter, “Don’t say nothing you don’t know nothing about. And that’s particularly for you” toward the end of the presser.
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It wasn’t all hate from Westbrook, who, at one point, said he respects the media and the job they perform.
But it’s fair to say the Kings’ record has taken a bit of a toll on the 37-year-old. At 14-50, the Kings have the worst record in the NBA. All that losing is going to frustrate players.
The losing, however, hasn’t prevented Westbrook from putting up solid numbers. Through 59 games, the 18-year veteran is averaging 15.3 points and a team-leading 6.4 assists per game.
After Thursday’s press conference, Westbrook also leads the team in calling out individual members of the media.