Getty Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Russell Westbrook’s slump continued on Wednesday against the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers guard didn’t take too kindly to the home team trolling him about it.
The arena played a short snippet of Cold As Ice by Foreigner when introducing Westbrook and throughout the game. It was accurate, with Westbrook going 2-of-14 from the field, but he did not enjoy the jab from a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2006 — before Westbrook was in the NBA.
“That’s funny. I hope they played that the last 14 years, too,” the former MVP told reporters after the game. “It’s funny they play it now. That’s cute.”
The Lakers gave up the farm to get Westbrook this offseason, sending Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell to the Wizards as part of a blockbuster deal. It hasn’t exactly panned out for the Lakers, who are staying patient.
“Just keep working with him,” LeBron James James said. “Obviously he’s been putting in work, and you’re going trust the work you put into it so, he’s getting some really good looks, it’s just not going down for him.”
Westbrook: ‘I Can’t Make a F—ing Shot’
Westbrook is shooting 32.8 percent since the new year and he is yet to make a 3-pointer since 2022, going 0-12 on his attempts.
“I can’t make a f—ing shot,” he said.
Despite the rough stretch, Westbrook is staying positive, knowing he can turn it around in a hurry if he finds his rhythm.
“The word ‘slump’ isn’t something I lean on,” Westbrook said. “I stay locked into my craft, figure it out. I’m just in a position to try to figure out the best way to play at the moment. It’s as simple as that. … I’ll figure it out, and that’s that. Figure out ways to just make a f—ing shot. That’s it.”
On a positive note, Westbrook is taking care of the ball. He has just four turnovers in four games and has 27 assists over that span.
“Taking care of the ball is big for me,” he said. “That’s something I pay attention to. If we are winning, that’s more important.”
Lakers Face Questions After Passing Halfway Mark
With the loss to the Kings on Wednesday, the Lakers dropped to .500 once again at 21-21. The team has also lost two in a row after reeling off four straight wins and are running out of time to figure things out.
“We have 42 games now [completed] and 40 left, and we want to see what we’re made of,” James said. “But it’s definitely been a roller coaster so far.”
The Lakers are still not at 100 percent and are missing an obvious, large piece of the puzzle in Anthony Davis, who is nursing a knee injury. Kendrick Nunn, who was expected to be a large part of the rotation, has also been out since the start of the year.
The Lakers are currently the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, with the Timberwolves hot on their heels. They’re 11 games back of the first place Suns.