Russell Westbrook Does Not Like Stupid Questions: “Bro, What Are You Talking About, Man?”

All, NBA, Video Jason Lisk February 13th. 2013, 10:53am

Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder lost at Utah by 15 points last night. Westbrook had 22 points, but also 7 turnovers. A reporter at the post-game asked that old favorite, “did you guys lose this game, or did the Jazz win this one?”

Russell was not amused. To be fair, the correct answer is a simple “yes” to such a ridiculous question.

aroundtheweb

35 Responses to “Russell Westbrook Does Not Like Stupid Questions: “Bro, What Are You Talking About, Man?””

1
YYSA Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:00 AM
Russell how was it working with the late great Dennis Hopper in Super Mario Bros?
2
Der Kaiser Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:04 AM
Jason, what’s your opinion on “talk about……” phenomenon that is sweeping every sports press conference?
3
mizerle06 is sarah phillips Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:09 AM
Jason, what’s your opinion on “talk about……” phenomenon that is sweeping every sports press conference?
“You had your fourth straight double-double…talk about points 6 through 9 and rebounds 3 and 11.”
4
scripty Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:11 AM
Jason, what’s your opinion on “talk about……” phenomenon that is sweeping every sports press conference?
Been going on for generations. Nothing new at all.
5
cursedcleveland.com Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:13 AM
It would be a stupid question, if athletes didn’t constantly say things like “they didn’t beat us, we lost it” all the time. I’ve been given that answer probably hundreds of times. So if that’s the case, is it really an unfair question?
6
scripty Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:14 AM
Jason, what’s your opinion on “talk about……” phenomenon that is sweeping every sports press conference?
for the pressers and post-game sessions, the beat reporters will have this unspoken agreement to throw out crap like this to get a dialogue with the subject. Then fringe reporters outside the normal press pool will maybe ask a pointed question. Then the person retires from the session, where the beat people will take time and get a direct question to the subject so they have a direct quote on a topic their peers won’t. This goes for coaches and prominent players who aren’t a-holes to the press.
There is also some de facto hazing of guys who don’t cover the team daily and pop in and come with some strong questions. This happens everywhere.
7
scripty Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:16 AM
You’d need to know who asked the question. It really gives context to the answer. I’d guess this was the last lackey on the local station’s sports department totem pole that they told to go down there and get a few postgame clips.
8
dikembemutomballs Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:18 AM
8 – 14 FT’s for a starting point guard at the NBA level is pathetic.
9
Badger Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:18 AM
Russell how was it working with the late great Dennis Hopper in Super Mario Bros?
Of all the crap Hollywood remakes I’m surprised that one hasn’t been given a shot. I’d like to think a Super Mario Bros movie would do well.
10
Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez has the highest WAR evah! Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:19 AM
It would be a stupid question, if athletes didn’t constantly say things like “they didn’t beat us, we lost it” all the time. I’ve been given that answer probably hundreds of times. So if that’s the case, is it really an unfair question?
It’s a loaded question, and it’s a leading one. Westbrook was smart enough to not take the bait. Tell me what you think led to the loss would have sufficed.
11
cursedcleveland.com Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:21 AM
Like Scripty said, the talk about phenomenon is certainly not new. It basically is a question without having to ask a question. It’s probably lazy, but it can be just as effective. Is there really a difference between “it seemed like everything was going in tonight, talk about your 40 point performance,” and “how were you so effective tonight?”
12
Shining Base Path Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:21 AM
athletes don’t have to be nice, even for great questions. reporters need to do some work or risk being embarrassed like this
13
cursedcleveland.com Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:23 AM
It’s a loaded question, and it’s a leading one. Westbrook was smart enough to not take the bait.
True, but sometimes loaded questions can get a quote that you would never gotten otherwise. Sometimes it triggers something an athlete wouldn’t have come up with. Some see that as unfair, but it’s still their words, not yours. The athlete/coach can always dismiss any question summarily anyway if they know what they’re doing. You could ask “what led to the loss” and they could be terse “they played better than us.” Which is just as lousy a retort. Even if you follow up, they can just get agitated and you’ll get nothing from them.
14
YYSA Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:26 AM
Of all the crap Hollywood remakes I’m surprised that one hasn’t been given a shot. I’d like to think a Super Mario Bros movie would do well.
Let Pixar do it. I don’t need to see a live action one.
15
cursedcleveland.com Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:26 AM
athletes don’t have to be nice, even for great questions. reporters need to do some work or risk being embarrassed like this
Ehh, the interviewee has all the power anyway. There’s literally no question that Jim Boeheim could be asked that he couldn’t twist into a smartass answer to make you look stupid. You could be David Frost or Bob Woodward, if Boeheim (or others like him) aren’t in the mood, you’re getting embarrassed.
16
scripty Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:27 AM
these post-game interviews are not the time or place for a beat person to get their story. the game is the story. you have a narrative and ask a few quotes to fill out your story; every once in a while an player or coach will try to change that but the sum of the time, you’re story is based off some interviews you did early in the day.
any reporter treating these post-gamers like frost/nixon is a noob. I don’t know how they’d even get a credential for a nba game if that was the case.
17
Shining Base Path Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:28 AM
exactly, so why not improve your chances?
18
Shining Base Path Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:30 AM
scripty, if a guy is working on a column or feature and not the gamer, he can certainly use postgame to talk to people who aren’t being crowded by the roving horde
but you know that
/game stories suck
19
Shining Base Path Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:31 AM
cursed i’m sure you;re not advocating laziness, just to be clear
20
cursedcleveland.com Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:31 AM
Scripty, I think Woj is the only one who get the good one-on-one to use the game as a launching pad for more macro-level stories. He’s brilliant at getting the best quotes someone can get. But then again, he’s also at the top of his profession. But I agree with you otherwise.
21
Shining Base Path Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:35 AM
He’s brilliant at getting the best quotes someone can get. But then again, he’s also at the top of his profession. But I agree with you otherwise.
hold on now. i agree there is an art/science to interviewing, but there are only so many ways to ask a question or only so many types of question. is woj hypnotic or something? he has power to make these guys never be in a grumpy mood?
22
Shining Base Path Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:35 AM
He’s brilliant at getting the best quotes someone can get. But then again, he’s also at the top of his profession. But I agree with you otherwise.
hold on now. i agree there is an art/science to interviewing, but there are only so many ways to ask a question or only so many types of question. is woj hypnotic or something? he has power to make these guys never be in a grumpy mood?
23
Shining Base Path Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:35 AM
oops
24
scripty Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:35 AM
if you’re doing a feature, you shouldn’t be hassling people post-game;
if you’re doing a commentery/column, you shouldn’t be so hard up for a quote to make that column work.
the post-game time belongs to the people on deadline. I’d wager that this is some intern who looks like Jonah Hill and thinks he’s the next Mike Wallace getting the noob treatment.
25
Badger Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:36 AM
Let Pixar do it. I don’t need to see a live action one.
Brad Bird. Legend.
26
cursedcleveland.com Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:39 AM
hold on now. i agree there is an art/science to interviewing, but there are only so many ways to ask a question or only so many types of question. is woj hypnotic or something? he has power to make these guys never be in a grumpy mood?
Well it’s unfair at this point, I mean, Kobe knows and respects Woj so he’ll also use him to get what he wants out. But I’ve been around the SI and NYT guys at some bigger events, they’re excellent at getting better answers. They are very disarming
27
scripty Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:40 AM
Woj is very good at what he does; I’d venture woj isn’t springing up to guys for the first time after a game, introducing himself and getting that killer quote; there’s a few guys like that but they have their own rules; Even a guy like Woj though would respect the beat guys and let them work and do his work off the side.
A columnist should come down to the arena at the shootaround, and tell the guy you want a quote after the games; or in his case, text the guy or his agent; or beg the team PR guy that you need 1 quote from Player X after the game (likely screwed at that point).
28
scripty Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:41 AM
To Cursed’s point, National guys that everybody knows vs. local guys is two completely different things.
29
cursedcleveland.com Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:45 AM
To Cursed’s point, National guys that everybody knows vs. local guys is two completely different things.
Not to mention, TV quotes are far different from newspaper quotes in most cases. That’s why TV people ask such simple questions, we want 10 second sound bites, we don’t have time for 35 second background-filled quotes)
30
Shining Base Path Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:46 AM
if you’re doing a feature, you shouldn’t be hassling people post-game;
if you’re doing a commentery/column, you shouldn’t be so hard up for a quote to make that column work.
the post-game time belongs to the people on deadline.
well, we’ve both done plenty of this sort of work, so i’ll just agree to disagree based on experience
To Cursed’s point, National guys that everybody knows vs. local guys is two completely different things.
absolutely. not just national but beat guy compared to fill-in. i used to turn down chances to cover as a fill-in simply because it was so uncomfortable being the guy who had to follow folks around, and who the athletes didn’t know. familiarity is huge both ways
31
Shining Base Path Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:48 AM
But I’ve been around the SI and NYT guys at some bigger events, they’re excellent at getting better answers. They are very disarming
we agree that without good interviewing guys don’t get to that status. very important. 2/4 people skills, 1/4 knowing the game/subject
32
Tim Ryan Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:56 AM
for the pressers and post-game sessions
I prefer “press conference.”
33
mizerle06 is sarah phillips Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 11:59 AM
Ehh, the interviewee has all the power anyway. There’s literally no question that Jim Boeheim could be asked that he couldn’t twist into a smartass answer to make you look stupid. You could be David Frost or Bob Woodward, if Boeheim (or others like him) aren’t in the mood, you’re getting embarrassed.
how are you talking about Bowheem and not linking the video of your ~~infamous~~ exchange?
34
Tim Ryan Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 12:00 PM
I’m going to print these comments out and cancel the media seminar I had planned on attending Saturday morning.
35
Nada Says:
February 13th, 2013 at 12:17 PM
You could ask “what led to the loss” and they could be terse “they played better than us”
Sounds like you’ve interviewed Belichick at some point.