Getty Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers.
This offseason there’s been a lot of talk about the Los Angeles Lakers‘ age. The team has added several players who are well into their 30s. Russell Westbrook is actually one of their youngest players at 32-years-old.
Many have used the team’s age as a way to criticize them, which has clearly struck a chord with some of the players. We’ve already seen LeBron James call out the notion in a now-deleted tweet. Now, Westbrook has had a chance to talk about the topic. In a clip that’s started to make the rounds online, the star guard was confronted about the Lakers’ age. He responded with a stern message. Warning, the language used is NSFW.
“We got a team full of nice experienced vets that’s going to kick these young motherf***ing a**es,” Westbrook said.
“We got a team full of nice, experienced vets that’s gonna kick these young motherfuckers’ asses” 🤣
–@russwest44 on the Lakers having the oldest team in the league
There’s no doubt the Lakers’ age is going to be a major talking point this season. It appears the players are already using the talk as a source of motivation.
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Health a Bigger Concern Than Age
Obviously, the Lakers players aren’t going to be concerned with their age. There’s a reason the team was constructed that way it has been. The team has plenty of talent. However, as players age, they become more injury-prone. Health will be the biggest concern surrounding Los Angeles this season.
The Lakers had trouble staying healthy last season. Anthony Davis is one of the team’s youngest players but he’s also the most often injured. If the team can stay relatively healthy, they have as good a shot to win a title as anybody.
Jeanie Buss Hypes up Westbrook Addition
When the Lakers traded for Westbrook, there were critics. As dynamic a player as he is, he’s not a seamless fit next to LeBron and Davis. That said, he’s determined to win his first championship and the Lakers clearly believe in him. Team owner Jeanie Buss hyped up the addition in an interview with Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic:
We’re over the cap. We have really no room. When we made that trade (for Westbrook), we knew we’d have to fill the roster with seven or eight players at the veterans minimum. And so trying to convince players to come on one-year deals for the minimum is a challenge. So you get a lot of guys that are willing to take less money for the opportunity to possibly go for a championship, or play in a city that has other opportunities as they transition to the next part of their career. And we kind of had to capitalize on that because we’ve got three players taking up 90 percent of our payroll, and certainly, Russell Westbrook. You know we’ve got a big three now, and Russell is somebody that’s from L.A., went to UCLA, and I think our fans are going to be just cuckoo for him, are going to be so happy that he’s here. It’s like the return of one of our own.
There’s no doubt that fans are excited about the move. Westbrook is one of the most dynamic playmakers and personalities in the NBA. He’s going to electrify Staples Center from his very first game.
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Lakers’ Russell Westbrook Puts NBA on Notice With Stern Statement