Russell Westbrook found himself at the center of controversy just last week as he appeared to not participate in a huddle led by Patrick Beverley. Fans tried to claim that it was an indication that Russ no longer wants to play for the Lakers and that he is just a bad teammate overall.
Others have come out and said that he did participate in the huddle and that it was simply the camera angles that made him look bad. In the latest episode of his new Barstool Sports podcast, Beverley confirmed as much as he gave an in-depth view of what happened.
As you can see in the clip below, Beverley explains how Russ was preoccupied with the bench and the referee during the huddle and that in his mind, the star was still participating. At the end of the day, Beverley acknowledged that Russ rarely catches a break.
“When I was in the huddle, I felt like Russ was in there with me,” Beverley said. “He was talking to the refs and coaches… We told him on the plane, ‘Hey Russ, anything you do, they’re gonna attack you. I’m sorry you gotta go through that, bro.' They’re trying to kill my boy Russ, man. It don’t faze him. But as a human, you gotta keep your sanity in that s–t because you can kinda lose yourself, but mentally he’s been solid, mentally he’s been strong.”
People have been piling on Russ as of late, and that won't change until he starts playing well. Hopefully, he can turn it around when the regular season starts.
