Getty Russell Westbrook is not happy with his start in a Lakers uniform.
Russell Westbrook had a poor L.A. debut and the new Los Angeles Lakers point guard was in a sour mood for his postgame press conference. Westbrook spent the majority of the just over two minutes press conference staring at the table as he gave minimal responses to reporters’ questions. The guard was asked about his postgame locker room conversation with LeBron James.
“We talked,” Westbrook said with a deadpanned look.
Westbrook was asked about his impression of the atmosphere playing in his first regular season game at the Staples center in front of a star-studded crowd.
“I wasn’t paying much mind, to be honest,” Westbrook answered.
Westbrook noted there was “nothing different” about playing his first game with the Lakers. The nine-time All-Star had eight points, five rebounds and four assists while shooting just 30.8% from the field in the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors.
Here is a look at Westbrook’s awkward exchange with the media after his Lakers debut.
.@russwest44 (8 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST, 4-13 FG) on finding his footing and his Opening Night experience.
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Vogel on Westbrook: ‘More Than Anybody, It’s Going to Be an Adjustment Period’
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel does not seem too concerned about Westbrook’s slow start. Vogel emphasized that Westbrook is going to need more of an “adjustment period” with the Lakers than any of the other new additions.
“Yeah, him more than anybody, it’s going to be an adjustment period, right,” Vogel explained during his postgame press conference. “He’s coming into our culture, our system. He’s the new guy, and he’s got to find his way and it’s difficult to when you’re used to being the guy that has the ball. …Tonight, to be able to play off of others, like Bron and A.D., so it’s just a little bit different for him. He’s going to be great for us, but it’s gonna be an adjustment period.”
Overall, Westbrook counts his first outing as a wash admitting there was “not much” he could take away from the loss the Warriors. Westbrook noted that he planned on watching the film to see if there could be some tidbits he can gather from his debut.
“I’ll look at it and see,” Westbrook added. “Watch some film and see, but we didn’t win, so maybe some stuff, but not much, at least from my perspective.”
LeBron on Advice to Westbrook: ‘I Told Russ to Go Home & Watch a Comedy’
LeBron James also did not seem too concerned about Westbrook’s adjustment to the Lakers. James’ advice to Westbrook was non-basketball related joking that the guard should “watch a comedy” to clear his mind.
“I told Russ to go home and watch a comedy, somebody could put a smile on his face,” James told reporters during his October 20 press conference. “[He’s] so hard on himself, I told him, don’t be so hard on yourself, it’s one game. I understand that you [are a] competitor, we all competitors and we all feel like [that] when we don’t play well or play [to our] ability so I completely understand that as well. But I just don’t want him to be so hard on himself.
“That was the one thing that hopefully get[s] through to him. Don’t be so hard on himself and like I said, you go home, he’s gonna see three babies that he has. They might be asleep, but they will put a smile on his face and you got a beautiful wife [and] family. So, at the end of the day, you go home and [you’re] really like, ‘okay, alright that was not that bad.’ It’s really not that bad.”