Russell Westbrook has had a resurgence in his career ever since he took on the role of bench captain. This has helped the superstar be valuable enough that the Denver Nuggets came calling. But he knows all too well that this change in his career is due to what transpired with the Los Angeles Lakers.
At the time, the former league MVP lost a lot of face as he was blamed for the horrible seasons the Lakers suffered. In some part, analysts were correct that Westbrook’s game did not work well with the likes of LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
But ever since the 36-year-old left the team in purple and gold, he has cherished his battles against them. This time, he was part of the Nuggets squad that blew the Lakers out in their own building. In the middle of that battle, leaked audio suggests the LA native said this to Anthony Davis.
Soft a** n*****. You’re soft. You’re soft n*****.
Russell Westbrook to Anthony Davis
This battle of words continued as Davis chirped back at his former teammate. Then after hitting a three-point shot, Russell Westbrook yelled.
Boom, b***h. What the f**k are they gonna say now? Go home.
Russell Westbrook to the Lakers crowd
LEAKED Audio Of Russell Westbrook Trash Talking Anthony Davis👀:
Russ: “Soft a** n****”
Davis: “Stop fouling”
Russ: “You soft, n****”
Then, after hitting a big three in the 4th qtr, Russ let the Lakers crowd know about it:
“What the f*ck are they gonna say now? Go home!” pic.twitter.com/qqbugjuL98
— LegendZ (@legendz_nba) November 25, 2024
It is not known if it was bad blood between the Denver Nuggets star and his former teammate. Considering how competitive the nine-time All-Star can be, it is hard to decipher his relationships with opponents. But with those last words, he sure made it clear that he wanted to tell off the Los Angeles Lakers fans for giving him and his family a hard time in the past.
Russell Westbrook playing an advanced playmaking role with Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets primarily play off superstar Nikola Jokic. But last season, their lack of pace and bench scoring saw them exit in the second round. This season, they lost a consistent starter but drafted well, and signed Westbrook to lead the bench. His veteran leadership was on full display last season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The 2023 champions brought in Russell Westbrook to handle that part for them. Since he has come in, young stars Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, Julian Strawther and Trey Alexander have stepped up.
More than the leadership, what surprised many was how Westbrook took his game up a notch. His numbers suggest he is playing better than last season and his three-point efficiency is the best in his career. But in these 16 games, he has excelled at running the show as their secondary playmaker.
Playing alongside Jokic helps the Nuggets use different schemes than the one which everyone has become accustomed to seeing. It has also taken the load of Jamal Murray as he concentrates on being a scorer. All of this points to the fact that he is enjoying his resurgence after a trying time with the Lakers.
