There are a couple of things to point out here.
Russell Westbrook doesn’t like the media. Never has and likely never will. It is just the way he is. When there are no cameras around or people asking him questions, he is a different person.
I am sure there is a reason that Westbrook doesn’t like the media, but at this point of his career, I wouldn’t expect anything to change.
After T-Wolves blew out the Lakers, Westbrook did his postgame interview with media. He was on his phone the entire time, but he did answer all his questions.
Russell Westbrook scored 20 points on his 33rd birthday for Los Angeles, which had a solid first half before disintegrating in the third and losing for the fourth time in 11 games. Davis said the Lakers had “no effort in the third quarter.”
I am sure if the media thought he would say anything profound, that simply isn’t what he does.
One reporter, Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation, wasn’t pleased with how Westbrook was handling himself.
Call me crazy, but I think it’s just a bit disrespectful to look at your phone during an entire postgame interview, especially after getting blown out. Just me, I guess. Manners. What a concept.
When someone pointed out it must be hard to be critiqued constantly, Ward doubled down.
Nor is it fun to wait for players, transcribe what they say and then write stories until 2 am. Respect goes both ways.
Social media I would say 70-30 in favor of Westbrook, not because they like Westbrook but because they don’t like media either.
While being a sports journalist is one of the most sought-after jobs in the world, it can be thankless because everyone THINKS they can do your job.
Spoiler alert, they probably could in 2021, but that isn’t the point.
Flip the page for the postgame interview and the Twitter reactions.
